


Harry Tano

by TheBeardedOne



Series: Magic Of The Force [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:21:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 132,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27701308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBeardedOne/pseuds/TheBeardedOne
Summary: After resigning from the Jedi Order, Ahsoka didn't expect to find herself sent to a new world, especially a world where a young boy needed her help...Now also in Russian.
Series: Magic Of The Force [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2025832
Comments: 5
Kudos: 49





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the backstory purposes of this fanfic, George Lucus managed to get the rights to Flash Gordon and redid it, dropping most of the camp and building it to be an epic with Flash being inducted into a multi-species resistance to a tyrannical empire led by Ming. As such, things like the Laser Blade are still cultural memes while Ming's son Kro-tan fills the same basic cyborg henchman role as Darth Vader.
> 
> George, we all know you would have made it way more epic than what actually happened with the realworld film. But would you have hired Queen for the soundtrack?

The cavern's stygian darkness was both broken and enhanced by a cluster of lights near the lowest point. The occasional sound of metal chipping stone, the swish of a brush and the beeping of an enhanced datapad as it worked to decode ancient runic inscriptions were the only sounds that echoed through the otherwise silent cavern.

An observer would have seen only a single being moving into and out of the lit area. Anyone with knowledge of the galactic races would have soon determined that the figure was a female Togruta, one still a year or two shy of full adulthood. Although she wore full-length robes against the cold of the cavern, the hood was down revealing the two white-and-black head-horns and three head-tails (one draped down her spine, the other two hanging over her shoulders and down her front). The brown robes she wore were festooned with pockets and the belt draped around her hips held a number of tools as well as a cylinder that most sentients would recognize instantly as a lightsaber, thus causing most to assume that she was a Jedi.

They would be wrong.

Ahsoka Tano, former Padawan to the famed Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, Hero of the Old Republic, had left the Jedi Order a few months prior after the Jedi Council had refused to accept her pleas of innocence in a series of bombings orchestrated by her former frined Barris Offee. Although the truth of the matter had been revealed and the Council apologized to her, Ahsoka had decided that if they would turn against her so quickly once, they would be likely to do so again, and so she had resigned from the Jedi Order and sought a new path, one which had led her to the cavern in the depths of Coruscant where she was unearthing and examining an ancient device built by an unknown race that had possibly predated even the Rakata.

She still had no idea what the device did, but somehow it was still active despite the passage of time.

Now if she only knew how to activate it.

The noise of people approaching intruded into her meditative thoughts and she glanced round, soon spotting the illumination of the approaching party. A glint of light and a familiar feel caused her to relax and she placed her datapad into her bag, slinging it on her back as she waved.

"Over here, I need your help. This rock is too big for me to move alone, can you… what the?"

A stuttering of blasterfire answered her request and only her combat reflexes, honed from her time spent fighting, let her evade it, rolling behind the rock that a moment ago had been her bane and was now her shield.

"What the hell are you doing!" She shouted, gripping her lightsaber but not activating it. The reply chilled her blood.

"Former Jedi Ahsoka Tano, under Order 66 and by decree of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, you are found guilty of treason against the Empire and are sentenced to death."

For a moment, the words failed to penetrate, then Ahsoka gasped as ripples of pain, anguish, betrayal and death slammed into her. Pulling out a blaster that she had accepted from a grateful Clone Commander months back, she reached round the rock and unleashed a barrage of bolts while using her control of the Force to retrieve the secondary supply pack that she always kept packed and nearby, another legacy of her time fighting a war. An instant later, the response came clattering back, a trio of high-powered grenades and a pair of EMP grenades. Focusing, Ahsoka thrust the three explosive grenades away as fast as she could, then turned to deal with the EMP grenades…

Just as they detonated.

The pulse filled the cavern and the ancient machine suddenly surged into life, energy arcing across and around the cavern. Almost half of the attacking Clone Troopers were vaporized and then Ahsoka realized that the energy arcs had formed a series of concentric rings.

With her at the focal point.

Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to curse, but she didn't have time before the rings rushed inwards and combined around her in a sphere that flickered out of existence before the machine itself exploded, sending debris scything through the air. Once the explosion faded, everything was still until one of the bodies of the troopers stirred, bringing his hand up to his helmet.

"Mission… accomplished… no… survivors… code… omegaaa…"

His voice faded and no life remained in the shattered cave.

* * *

-.-

* * *

It was dark.

The child known as Boy, or Freak, lay on the salvaged mattress, his eyes closed as he tried not to move. He was being punished again by being locked into the cupboard for the whole weekend while the family he lived with went to attend something linked to his uncle's job. Normally he would have been taken with them and told to stay in the car, but his cousin had broken the new television and blamed him for it. The television had been replaced almost at once while Boy had been literally thrown into the cupboard under the stairs. When it had gone quiet and he had managed to fully wake up from the concussion, he had tried to open the door slightly, only to find that something solid was holding it shut.

And his uncle had snarled that he could stay there until he got back on Monday.

With another sigh, Boy pushed experimentally on the door, then rolled back onto his back and opened his eyes, staring sightlessly upwards.

"If only I had real family, if only I had a real mother." He whispered, longing filling his voice, wishing for it with everything he had.

It was enough.

Boy _felt_ something change, the air around him seemed to become… he lacked the words to describe it, but it felt as if _something_ was about to happen, something momentous, something that would re-define his entire world. The air started to feel almost heavy and he felt both incredibly heavy and feather-light at the same time. For a brief instant, there was no up or down, then suddenly, something landed on him.

"Oooff!"

.

Ahsoka landed on something soft, something which let out an 'oof' as her weight pressed it against the ground. Almost instantly realizing that she had somehow landed on a small sentient, Tano braced her hands to either side of it and pushed upwards.

Thud.

Ahsoka paused as her backpack impacted against something and she shifted her position, rolling onto her side against a wall. Pulling the small sentient into a protective one-armed embrace, Ahsoka reached round, quickly realizing that she was in a small triangular compartment with an odd corrugated roof.

"Where are we?"

The small being answered in a language that Ahsoka had never heard before, but from what she could tell, it sounded confused.

"Hold still, I'll get us out of here." She said soothingly as she managed to maneuver so that she could reach her lightsaber. Taking it in hand, she pointed it upwards and ignited it, sending the blade through the ceiling of the small space. In the backwash of light, she could see the being she was holding, a small, dark-haired human boy who was staring wide-eyed at her. Sparing him a quick smile, Ahsoka cut an oval in the corrugated slope, using the Force to lift the blockage clear and let them out. Standing up, she looked round and realized that the odd space had been a storage closet under a flight of stairs.

"Come on." She said, gently lifting the astonished boy up and then hopping out onto the stairs. Walking round them, she looked at the doorway to the closet and the two bolts that secured it.

"Oh, that is _not_ right."

Glancing round, Ahsoka _reached_ out with her senses, then relaxed slightly, lowering the child to the ground.

"Well, looks like it's just you and me for now." Ahsoka said, looking round. Although the area was indeed primitive compared to Coruscant, she could identify quite a few familiar things. On the wall and in what looked like the receiving room were dozens of pictures of an almost amusingly different human couple. The man was larger than someone from a 3g world, but most of it was obviously fat, while the female was as thin as a Kaminoan. In many of the pictures was another human, but one which Ahsoka first mistook for a juvenile Hutt due to its almost spherical shape.

There were no pictures of the child who stood beside her.

Ahsoka looked down at the young boy and gave him a tooth-hidden smile before moving towards what seemed to be the food-preparation area. Entering the room, she looked round and her gaze was drawn to a calendar mounted on a odd board. Although the digits were not the same as her native Aurabesh, they sufficed to show that the natives did indeed count in base ten, and that the calendar page had thirty-one days, twenty of which had been crossed out. A pen-line with an indecipherable message underneath stretched from the twentieth day to the twenty-third.

A noise caught her attention and Ahsoka looked round to see the boy opening a cupboard and pulling out a couple of bowls. Realizing what he was doing, Ahsoka unslung her backpack and pulled out her datapad. As the boy started to pour out some odd dried food, Ahsoka activated the scanning functions on the datapad, once again mentally thanking her former master for giving her the custom-made device.

.

Harry felt his stomach rumble as the odd lady with the strange head looked at the calendar. Opening the cupboard where his cousin's large supply of cereal was kept, he pulled out a pair of bowls and placed them on the kitchen table before pulling out one of the packets of cereal. Placing the box by the bowl, he glanced over to where the lady was examining some sort of beeping box and he smiled.

He was a freak, he knew because everyone around him said so.

The lady was obviously a freak since she had odd horn-things instead of hair and her skin was red with odd white patterns.

She smiled at him and her expression when she looked round showed that she was angry with the big man, the bony lady and the fat boy he lived with. He didn't know how or why, but he felt safe around her.

Maybe when the time came for her to leave, she would take him with her.

After all, freaks should stick together.

.

Ahsoka looked at the young boy. He was obviously a slave, the three near-humans in the pictures his owners, and she hated slavery.

She wasn't certain exactly what the line on the calendar represented, but from the way the boy acted, he couldn't have been in the cupboard too long, which meant that they probably had another day to raid the house before leaving. That would allow her to scan the books in the house in order to give the datapad a chance of adjusting its translation algorithms, then she would leave, taking the boy with her.

Anyone who kept a child locked up in a small cupboard didn't have the right to keep that child.

Her plan was simple. They would search the house today and finish tomorrow, leaving as soon as it got dark. Since the language barrier indicated that she was on a lost colony which probably didn't know about other races, she'd have to wear her cloak with her hood up, and maybe a thin scarf around the lower part of her face.

Ahsoka gave a mental shrug as her pad finished analyzing the foodstuff and white liquid that the boy was placing into his bowl. Glancing at the screen, Ahsoka smiled. The food was safe.

Between the scanner and the standard nanotech-inoculation that she had received as an infant in the Jedi Temple, she was probably not going to suffer from any vitamin deficiencies.

The rest she would deal with as it came.


	2. Beginning A Journey

Ahsoka slowly rose from the comforting darkness of sleep. The first thing she became aware of was the small body hugging her. Opening her eyes, she glanced down, then used her free hand to slightly lift the blanket covering her. Under the blanket, Boy was still asleep, hugging her tightly, his head resting on her shoulder and a smile on his face.

Glancing round, Ahsoka noted the positions of the two bags of scavenged clothing from the storage area under the roof. In addition to the clothing, Ahsoka had found a bag in which was shoved a letter that she had scanned and a pair of shaped sticks which had the same odd feeling as Boy had, a feeling that was somehow like the Force, yet completely different.

She had meditated for a while and, knowing what to search for, had discovered a small spark of the same thing inside herself. Compared to Boy's, it wasn't much, but it was enough and now that she knew she had it, she could try and see if it could be increased. If the sticks held traces of it, the mysterious energy must be useful for something. She just had to find out what.

The previous day had been a real learning experience. Her datapad had been absorbing and decoding transmissions, a task made far easier when Boy turned on the viewscreen and Ahsoka could use it to determine the encoding patterns. Other transmissions were purely audio, giving the datapad a large amount of input for identifying words and determining patterns. Once she managed to get more than a few words defined for her, the pad should be able to help expand her vocabulary, assuming that the langauge was anywhere near logical in structure.

She had also managed to wash her robes using a primitive machine that Boy had helped her to set up, he had pulled out the washing agents and pointed out which section to put them in. An over-sized sleeping gown hanging on the back of the door had provided temporary clothing, but Ahsoka had soon ditched it when she and then Boy had showered in favor of an improvised chest-wrap and loincloth. She had taken the opportunity to give Boy a brief medical exam, revealing that his left arm had been broken and healed slightly crooked while his ribs showed several cracks.

Boy had also named the trio in the pictures. The large Hutt-like one was called Ver'on, the Kaminoan-skinny one was Tunie and the Huttling was Dudders.

Rather amusingly, in certain languages, the names translated as rather uncomplimentary terms.

After an evening meal, during which Ahsoka tried to learn as many words as possible, Boy had unwittingly confirmed their safety margin by crossing off the twenty-first day-space on the calendar. Ahsoka had nodded and mentally re-confirmed her plan, they would leave the next night.

After she left a sign of her displeasure for the trio of slavers who owned the place.

First, though, Ahsoka had a problem. Should she try to get up, probably waking Boy, or should she remain still, hugging him tightly to her, but lose some time that could be spent preparing for their departure?

As if in answer to her question, Boy twitched and his free hand rose to rub at his eyes before dropping… straight onto her chest. Ahsoka froze, then Boy opened his eyes and blearily looked up at her, a smile forming.

"Hello, Boy." Ahsoka said quietly. His smile broadened, then he looked at his hand and froze before snatching it to his torso as if he had burned it. His smile vanished and he tried to cringe, but Ahsoka wrapped both her arms around him, pulling him up a bit so that she could give him a reassuring hug.

"It's alright." She crooned into his ear. "I'm not angry with you, it's alright."

Continuing to murmur reassurance, she sat up, shifting him so that he was sat in her lap as she held him in her arms. After a few minutes, she felt him relax and she loosened her embrace, looking down at him.

"Good morning." She smiled, then in a fit of mischief, she wriggled her fingers against his flanks. Boy's eyes widened and he started to squirm, delighted laughter spilling out as she tickled him. After a little while, she stopped and gathered him to her, holding him so that his head rested on her shoulder as he recovered his strength.

.

From the corner of her eye, Ahsoka saw Boy staring in awe as she used the primitive sewing machine to alter several items of clothing that she had deemed to be possibly useful. Part of her training in the Jedi Order had included how to make and maintain the Jedi Robes and other items of clothing, a skill that had proven invaluable the number of times her clothes had got damaged while she learned from Anakin Skywalker. Her fingers guided the salvaged fabric as she adjusted the items of clothing she had appropriated. Already, Boy was wearing a fitted loincloth of the proper size rather than the string-tied undershorts that he had been forced to put up with, loose-cut trousers that didn't need to be prevented from falling down by means of a damaged belt and a sleeveless under-tunic. Ahsoka had also found some old shoes in the roof storage space and had used a knife and scissors to alter one pair into laced sandals to protect Boy's feet without causing him blisters.

Ahsoka removed the robe from the machine and turned it from inside-out to the right way out. Turning to Boy, she helped him don the ankle-length robe, then raised the hood and stepped back to look at it with approval before pulling out her spare belt from her supply pack. Placing it round his waist, she showed him how to tie it to hold the robe close to his body without it being so tight that it would impede his movements. Once his belt was secure, she stepped back and smiled.

"You look like a real Jedi, Boy."

Boy obviously didn't understand what she had said, but her approval was obvious to him and he grinned back at her, then she removed his robe and hung it up before rummaging again in her supply pack. Finding what she was after, she carefully sprayed the waterproofing compound onto the outer surface of the robe, making sure to get every millimetre covered. Now he would remain dry even if it rained once they had left.

Boy's stomach suddenly made an odd growling noise and he darted into the kitchen. Ahsoka smiled as she heard the rummaging noises of his searching through the cupboards for something to eat while she returned her equipment to the bag.

A glance at her pad reassured her. During her search, she had found several maps that she had scanned into her pad while an envelope that had come through the door had provided the pad with enough information that she knew their current location and where the nearest non-developed areas were. The noise stopped and Ahsoka walked into the kitchen where she saw that Boy had pulled out several items of food and placed them on the table. Pausing to give Boy another hug, causing him to smile at her again, she sat down to eat. As she did, though, she thought back to her examination of him. There was something… off about the scar on his forehead, something which didn't show up on the scan she did, yet almost screamed to her Jedi senses whenever she was in close proximity to him.

Giving a mental shrug, she started to eat. Whatever was wrong with that scar could wait until they had found somewhere safe to hide.

.

Boy was almost delirious with happiness. Not only had he got new clothing which actually fit him and looked very similar to Ahsoka's, she had used the odd screen-thing to create several images to show her plan to him. Tonight, they were going to leave Ver'on's house forever and find a new place to live! Although she had odd skin and strange tails and horns instead of hair, Ahsoka was the most wonderful person he had ever met. Whatever a Jedi was, the fact that Ahsoka was one meant that he wanted to be one too. Maybe his skin would change to be like hers, then she could be his new mommy. A Jedi mommy, not a whore mommy (whatever that was, he had no idea other than that it was very bad and he was bad for being born to one).

As they ate the final meal that they would have in the hated house, Boy couldn't help but steal glances at the woman who had come into his life and promised to save him. She had gone out of her way to help him, had given him some unusual-tasting medicine to stop him getting ill and held him in a nice hug when they had gone to sleep. He grinned at the memory even as he blushed, they had used Ver'on and Tunie's bed for the night, he hadn't worn anything other than string-tied boxers while she had only worn a loincloth and chest-wrap, he had expected to be hit when he woke up to find that his head was on her breast, but she had simply smiled at him and hugged him.

He didn't know where they were going or what they would do when they got there, but one thing was certain. She was the first person he could remember who actually cared about him, he'd follow her wherever she went.

Having finished his food, Boy placed his plate in the sink, then he followed Ahsoka upstairs. Despite it being mid-afternoon, he curled up on the bed beside her, his head resting on her shoulder, then he felt her hand lightly touch his forehead before the gentle blackness of sleep claimed him.

.

Ahsoka looked down at Boy and her resolve strengthened. She would train him as best she could in the ways of the Jedi. She could feel the Force within him, mostly hidden by the strange energy that seemed to radiate from and surround him, but it was there.

With a smile, she glanced at her datapad to check that the alarm was set, then lay back and closed her eyes, entering a meditative trance that would allow her to progress to true sleep.

.

The beeping of the alarm roused both Ahsoka and Boy from their sleep and as Boy yawned and stretched, Ahsoka rolled out of the bed and looked out of the window at the rapidly-darkening sky. Quickly walking down the stairs, she busied herself checking her supplies, both original and scavenged, before Boy joined her. By that time, the sky outside was dark, so Ahsoka moved to the next part of her plan.

She had used the wall by the back door to adjust her lightsaber so that it cut all but a bare half-centimeter through the wall, then had gone to the front door and carefully cut all the way around it. Once the streetlights outside were all the illumination available, Ahsoka waved for Boy to open the back door, then reached out with the Force. Seizing the section of the wall she had so painstakingly cut earlier, she _pulled_ , causing it to break free, then she _lowered_ it to lie flat on the ground. With a satisfied smirk, she ran through the kitchen, scooping up Boy as she did so, and they vanished into the night.

.

* * *

.

It took almost half an hour for someone to notice the unusual hole where the front door of Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, had once been. The person who discovered it was the man who lived at number 7, who had been walking his dog, and at first, he couldn't believe his eyes.

Moving to check, he was astonished to find the door and a portion of the surrounding wall lying flat in the hallway of the house. His law-abiding reflexes dictated his next action, he ran back to his home and called the police.

Ten minutes later, the police car, with a trio of officers pulled up and the man stepped forwards as they got out.

"Good evening, you would be the man who called about the break-in?"

"Yes, John Smith, I live at number seven. I was coming back from a long walk with Rover, my dog, when I saw…"

The officer followed the motion and his eyes widened as he saw the large hole and, illuminated by the street-lights, the door and the missing portion of the wall lying in the hallway. A low whistle sounded and the officer nodded firmly.

"Timmons, stay out here and keep the public from entering, we don't want to miss any evidence because a well-wisher trampled it. Carlton, you're with me, stay alert. Probably no-one there, but we have to keep an eye out."

The female officer moved to stand by the gate while the two male officers moved quietly down the path, pausing on either side of the hole before slipping in. Several moments passed, then Carlton reappeared at the entrance.

"No-one downstairs, but the back door's unlocked. We're turning on the lights for a better look."

Even as he spoke, the light in the hall came on, turning him from a faint figure into a solid silhouette even as John's shocked exclamation split the night.

"What the ruddy hell happened to those stairs?"

Carlton spun round and froze, his gaze transfixed by the large oval cut into the staircase and, visible in it, the corner of a worn, stained mattress.

"Sarge, you _need_ to see this!"

The sergeant emerged from the living room and joined Carlton, then he turned and walked over to where the hole let the light spill out into the street. For several seconds, he examined the edge of the hole carefully, then he walked back to the stairs and knelt on the highest intact step below the hole, examining the angles of the cut carefully.

"Odd," He mused, "It looks almost like the cupboard was cut open from inside, and the doorway… the walls were almost completely cut through before something knocked it down… but what?"

"Sarge," Timmons said slowly, "Is that… really a mattress?"

Sarge nodded, switching his torch on and using it to inspect the cupboard with an expert eye, then he stepped off the stairs and turned round, his face set in suppressed anger.

"From the handprints, they kept a kid in there. There's what looks like some dried blood as well."

John paled. "It… it… no…"

"What?" Carlton asked and John took a deep breath, composing himself.

"There was a second boy there. Small, dark hair, skinny. Apparently he was Petunia's nephew, his parents were criminals and died in a car crash, he was dumped with them."

Sarge tilted his head, then he turned to look at the hole in the stairs.

"Timmons, get on the horn, get backup and put an APB out on the… who lives here?"

"The Dursleys." John supplied even as some of the other residents of the street started to drift out of their houses to see what was going on. "The dad's called Vernon, the mother is Petunia and their son is Dudley."

"And the other boy?"

John shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. They only called him Boy. I only ever saw him once or twice, my wife managed to find out he was related to them, but not much more."

"An APB on the Dursleys." Sarge finished. "From the bloodstains, we're talking child abuse here. And see if we can find out just who the boy is. No kid deserves to be locked in a cupboard like that."

"Locked, sarge?" Timmons asked and Sarge pointed. Just visible from the large hole was a bolt set on the outside of the cupboard door, a bolt with a padlock attached. Timmons' eyes widened, then hardened and she turned to walk quickly back to the squad car.

"Carlton, secure the scene. I'm going to look round a bit, see if there's anything obvious." Sarge almost growled.

.

John walked back to his house, head spinning. All that time that he and the Dursleys had lived… near each other, he had never suspected that they were secret child abusers.

They had seemed so normal. Almost unnaturally so, in fact.

"What's going on at the Dursleys?"

John looked up to see the love of his life standing at the top of the stairs.

"The Dursleys… were mistreating their nephew."

"Their nephew? That black-haired child that Petunia said was a no-good child of her disgraceful sister?"

"They were keeping him locked under the stairs." John said heavily. Intellectually, he knew that it hadn't been _proven_ , but the sight of the dirty matress stuffed under the stairs weighed heavily on his heart. He and his wife had always wanted children, but an attack of the measles as a child had left him sterile, unable to ever have a child of his own flesh and blood. The longing had never really left them and knowing that an unwanted child had been so close, and that they'd never even suspected…

"Clarissa." He said. "If the police find him, do you think _we_ could give him a home? Or maybe one for another child who has suffered."

Clarissa froze, then stared at him. John had been ambivalent about taking in a child for years, but now…

"What happened?" She asked, knowing instinctively that something had upset him, had torn away a scab that they had both thought long-healed.

.

"Captain."

The captain walked to the front door, or where it had once stood, and looked at the edge of the hole.

"Any idea what caused this?"

"None, sir." Carlton replied. "Even Killer is stumped."

The captain whistled. Officer Kellan, known to many as Killer due to his pivotal role in a particularly nasty case in which only his unorthodox and borderline-illegal actions had saved the little girl (although the man who had taken her hostage had fallen to his death) was _the_ expert on melee weapons, blades and modified tools, a legacy of his time in the army.

He was also the force's combat instructor and one of the nicest, gentlest men in the service, unless a child was in danger.

"Did he have _any_ ideas?"

Carlton shrugged. "He said it looked like it had been done by something from the Flash Gordon films. Whatever was used sliced through the brick almost as if it wasn't there, but left tiny burn marks. He's considered writing to George Lucas to ask if _he_ has any ideas."

The captain looked at the cut with a new appreciation. "So, no normal device could have done it, but a laser blade could?"

Carlton stared at him in shock.

"What? Lucas did a damned good job with those Flash Gordon films of his. My son wants me to take him to see the third one when it comes out. So, what _do_ we know?"

Shaking his head slightly as he fought with the realization that his captain enjoyed science fiction, Carlton let his professional reflexes take over.

"The door was cut away from the inside and pulled down, we aren't certain why, but Sarge thinks it was to get us here so that we could see what the Dursleys did. The kitchen door was closed but unlocked, the key on the inside. We don't know how the intruder got in and the fact that the cutting angles indicate that the stair cupboard was sliced open from inside is… confusing. If the weapon used had been outside, cutting around the padlock would have been faster and more logical.

"We have partial handprints, from the size we think that the intruder was female."

"Mrs Dursley's sister?" the captain asked and Carlton shook his head.

"No, sir. She's dead, as is the husband. James Potter and Lily Potter, nee Evans, both died on Halloween eight-one and are buried in Godric's Hollow. One son registered, Harry James Potter, who was born of July thirtieth, nineteen eighty. Cause of death, unknown."

The captain frowned in thought. "Get me full details on them, and I mean _full_! I want to know where they were born, to whom, where they went to school… something about this whole thing stinks, and I want to know _what_."

"Already checked, sir." Carlton said with a frown. "Not much on them, but they went to a private school in Scotland, we couldn't get the name or the location. For some reason, Petunia Dursley didn't, so it's possible that she felt left out and took it out on her nephew."

The Captain nodded thoughtfully. "How is the house to house going?"

"Not much more in the way of details, sir. Only rumor and fragments of information, but we do know that Vernon has an older sister named Marjorie, Timmons has already gone to see if she knows anything."

"And that woman is a _monster_." Timmons growled as she walked up to them. "Half a dozen dangerous dogs, she breeds them! Went on and on about how James Potter was a criminal who lived on benefits and how Lily Potter was a whore who sullied the reputation of her family and that their son was already a scumbag who needed a good thrashing. I called headquarters to check, and they have nothing on James and Lily Potter, no criminal records and no benefits records."

The Captain nodded again.

"Damn." Carlton mused. "What the _hell_ is going on?"

Their attention was caught by a van pulling up, a van that wasn't a police van but had a very distinct livery on the side.

"Check your uniforms." The Captain nodded. "Looks like we're going on national television."

.

Rita Skeeter, up-and-coming journalist, amazing beauty, insightful writer and (the last she admitted to herself in the quietest corner of her mind) unregistered Animagus, was sat in a pub enjoying a beer while half-listening to the television in the corner. Even after several years of exposure to the Muggle world, Rita was still awed by how much they managed to achieve without magic. The Wizarding World had the Wizarding Wireless, but it had nothing that could capture moving images and throw them across the country, let alone the world. The Muggles kept coming up with new things, new models of atomobles (or however they were pronounced), new devices meant to help clean the house instead of relying on household spells and house elves… Rita had invested in several devices for herself and discovered in the process that the old belief about magic and electricity not mixing was wrong.  
Curiosity had led her to research where the belief had sprung from and the only places where technology consistently failed was at Hogwarts and the lesser schools. It was while sneaking around at one of them that she had found the answer in the back-files, specialized wards against electrical devices created during a brief window when all the schools were led by pure-blood proponents who looked down on the Muggles and Muggle-born. The wards had been tied into the protections, then simply forgotten about, giving rise to the mistaken belief that the Muggle world and the Magical world simply couldn't mix.

Her self-congratulatory musing was cut short when a name sounded from the television and she leaned across the bar.

"Sorry, can you turn the news up a bit, please? And get me a pack of crisps?"

The bartender turned the volume up and Rita stared at the screen even as she absently placed a five-pound note on the bar.

"Keep the change." She muttered as her attention focused on the news story that would shake the wizarding world to its foundations.

"… taken from the house by an as-yet unknown person. Evidence left behind shows that Harry Potter went willingly and without hesitation. At this time, we are still searching for the Dursley family."

The scene cut back to the main studio where the newsreader looked directly at the camera, a somber expression on his face.

"The hidden secret of Privet Drive, a young boy, held prisoner in a small cupboard by a locally-known family and rescued by an unknown person. Noted child psychologist Frank Shields joins us in the studio with his opinion on this heartrending case. Mr Shields?"

"Thank you. On the surface, this case is terrible, a young boy abused by his aunt and uncle, an aunt and uncle who refuse to acknowledge him as proven by the fact that there was not a single photo in the house of him, but dozens of the other boy. Whoever took him has, as shown by the scraps of cloth left behind, made new clothes for him. This shows that although the rescuer may not have expected to find what she did…"

"She?" the newsreader asked and Shields nodded.

"A partial handprint was found, as were several footprints. From the their size and shape, as well as the sewing skill demonstrated, the mysterious intruder is almost certainly female. Finding the young Harry Potter may have triggered her maternal instincts and when she left, she took him with her.  
"The police have examined the leftover clothing and scraps, they believe that from the patterns, the woman was probably Chinese or Japanese and an expert seamstress, probably with a background in clothesmaking. A friend of mine created some sketches of what the clothes probably look like, I have a picture here."

The picture of a young boy flashed up on the screen and Rita almost choked. Although not a _proper_ set of robes, the outfit would have passed without comment on Diagon Alley! The rescuer was a witch!

"As for young Harry Potter's mental state, evidence suggests that when he came to stay at the Dursleys at little over a year old after the death of his parents, the Dursleys chose to place him in the cupboard under the stairs. From that point, he would have grown starved of attention and judging from the rumors about him that they spread, with no sense of self-worth. Given that, it is no surprise that he would head off with the first person to take an interest in his well-being. I can only hope that wherever he is, he is happy and that his rescuer continues to look out for him."

"Thank you, Mr Shield."

Rita pocketed the crisps and quickly downed the rest of her beer before striding out of the pub. She needed to do some serious research and seeing what was in the Muggle newspapers was a good start. Unlike the Wizarding newspapers, the Muggle Newspapers did their best to report the facts and keep speculation down to an absolute minimum. If the story was in the papers, then she would be able to gather almost as many details as if she was on the scene herself.

.

* * *

.

Barnabus Cuffe leafed through the material that Rita had dumped on his desk, his alarm and excitement both growing by the second. After several moments, he sat back in his heavily-upholstered chair and stared at Rita.

"Alright, you're on the staff. Anyone who can bring me a story as shocking as a _Crucio_ deserves to be on staff permanently. Now, how were you thinking of doing this? If we play up the Muggle angle, Millicent Bagnold's going to have our heads for trying to revive the Death Eaters."

Rita nodded. "I was thinking we should start with a quick reminder of the whole Boy-who-lived angle, then note that he vanished from the Wizarding World before revealing he was placed with his Muggles relatives. Throw in several Muggle quotes from… _this_ paper, showing just how bad they were compared to normal Muggles and from there we can lead to questioning who put Harry there and why.  
"I checked with Gringotts and the Potter's will was sealed by Albus Dumbledore. We can start a campaign to find out why the will was sealed, maybe even get it unsealed and publicly read, for it to have been sealed it must have been explosive and it'll give us more to work with.  
"Then, we can start speculating about the witch who rescued Harry. The cupboard was cut open from the inside, I think it must have been accidental magic, showing that Harry's _really_ powerful. The doorway reeks of a well-controlled cutting curse, but the amount of control needed to cut through almost but not quite all the way? We're talking the reincarnation of _Morgana le Faie_ , but on the side of good.  
"As for the headline, I was thinking _The Boy Who Was Abused_."

Barnabus leaned forwards, a predatory grin on his face.

"I _like_ it!"

.

* * *

.

The first clue that Vernon Dursley had that his perfectly normal life was collapsing was when he opened his morning newspaper and found himself looking straight at his own picture. For almost a minute, he stared in shock at the unexpected sight, then he carefully put down the paper and closed his eyes in thought.

Something had gone seriously wrong, and he was prepared to bet his pension that it was the Freak's fault.

Re-opening the paper and completely missing the sudden exit of the owner of the Bed & Breakfast they were staying at, Vernon read the story with a mounting sense of self-righteous anger. Someone had not just broken, but _cut_ their way into _his_ house, chopped open the stairs to get to the freak, cut up _his_ best clothes and then run off, taking the damned freak of a nephew with… her? So he couldn't even force the Freak to work off the cost of repairs!

And the police had named him as a wanted man? How was he ever going to get his life back to normal after this? He'd thrash the Freak to within an inch of his… _it's_ life for this… this _insult_!

"Vernon Dursley?"

Vernon looked up, ready to snap at whoever had the temerity to interrupt him, only for his red-mottled face to go white as he saw no less than four police officers had entered the room.

"Your presence is requested at the station, Mr Dursley. Yours as well, Mrs Dursley."

Vernon fought to get his thoughts under control.

It was all the Freak's fault, and one day, revenge would be his!

.

* * *

.

"Charlus Winston, MI-thirteen." The nondescript man said, causing the officer behind the desk to look up in surprise. "Here about the Potter case, the parents were known persons of interest and valuable operatives before their untimely demise."

The officer nodded and picked up his phone, dialing a number and talking quietly but firmly into it. A couple of moments passed, then the captain appeared.

"Captain Theophilus Black. How can I help you?"

Winston looked at him curiously. "Black… Black… was your father…?"

"Marius Black. May I ask why?"

"Of course, but privately." Winston said. Captain Black frowned but led him to an interrogation room, closing the door behind them.

"Alright, what's so important about my father? And does it link to the Potter case?"

"Marius' father was Cygnus Black?"

"But he disowned him for some reason, yes." Theophilus almost snarled and Winston held up a hand in a calming gesture.

"I needed to know. Do you recognize what this represents?"

Theophilus stared at the stick in Winston's other hand. "That's… a wand?"

"So you know about magic, good. Your file will be updated to show you're now part of the Merlin Club, someone will visit later to explain the ramifications. Your grandfather was a powerful wizard, but your father Marius was born without magic and was cast out of the family. The Potters were also magical, which is why there are so few records of them, they were murdered in…"

"Eighty-one on Halloween." Black interrupted. "You said murdered, who was responsible?"

"The one known as the Dark Lord." Winston said, ignoring Black's snort at the pretentious title. "However, he himself was killed when he tried to use a killing curse on the young Harry Potter after killing James and Lily. Harry was placed in hiding to protect him from the Dark Lord's more… fanatical followers, something which has backfired enormously. The Wizengamot is… not happy that their greatest hero has vanished."

"The what?"


	3. Discoveries

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, finally pulled out his wand and unleashed a Cannonblast charm, startling the Wizengamot into silence. Looking round, he noted almost absently how few of the members had been speaking (or shouting) in his defense.

"Very well. The motion for the unsealing and public reading of the wills of James and Lily Potter has been made and seconded." Albus said, his voice firm. "Before we continue, I must remind the Wizengamot that the reason the wills were sealed was to ensure that the young Harry Potter would be placed somewhere safe, where none of Voldemort's followers could find him."

"And look how _that_ worked." Augusta Longbottom sneered. "Face it, Albus, you have lost the _Boy-who-lived_ , your plan failed. Let us have the wills read so that we can decide if James and Lily's plans would have been better, and if they can be used when we finally locate our misplaced hero."

The rumble of approval that rose told Albus that his protests wouldn't count for anything, so he changed tactics.

"From the unanimous approval shown, I believe we can dispense with the voting and move directly to the will reading. Auror Scrimgour, can you please fetch the wills from the Ministry of Magic's secure storage area?"

Scrimgour rose from his bench, saluted and almost ran out of the great hall. Albus looked round at the assembled members.

"Since we will be waiting a while, is there any other business that we should take care of first?"

.

"…and so the motion to repeal the Muggleborn Protection Statutes is defeated." Albus said as Scrimgour re-entered with a pair of parchment rolls in his arms. Albus accepted the rolls, then placed them on the display lectern in front of him.

"Members of the Wizengamot, I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore do hereby swear on my life and magic that until this day, I was unaware of the contents of the wills. So mote it be!"

A brief Lumos confirmed that Albus still had his magic, causing a ssussuration of comments amongst the members of the Wizengamot and Albus capitalized on the moment.

"My plan was to have the wills unsealed when Harry Potter came of age and was fully able to defend himself both magically and legally from the followers of Voldemort, but I now open the wills as per the stated wishes of the assembled Wizengamot."

Albus turned to the scrolls and waved his wand over them, muttering under his breath as he undid the complex enchantments that held them closed. A moment later, both scrolls unrolled up the lectern, displaying their contents. Moving to the one on the left, Albus started to read aloud.

" _The Last Will and Testament of Lily Potter, written on the Third of September, 1981.  
_ " _Declaring that I am sound in both mind and body, I hereby declare this to be my Last Will and Testament, with all previous Wills being invalidated.  
_ " _Should I predecease my husband, James Potter, all my worldly goods are to be given to him with the the exception of the following bequests.  
_ " _To my sister Petunia Dursley, I leave a thousand Galleons to be converted into the Muggle currency of Pounds Sterling, as well as my best wishes for the future. Although we had our differences which caused us to part ways, we were still sisters and I wish her well.  
_ " _To my one-time best friend Severus Snape I give my forgiveness and a thousand Galleons. I know what your Patronus is, Severus, and I know how much you regret your mistakes and your moment of anger that all but destroyed our friendship. I am sorry that we never got a chance to rebuild it."_

In the public galleries, a black-clad man with greasy-looking hair stared down, tears flowing down his cheeks.

" _To my friend Sirius Black, the magical Godfather of my son Harry Potter, I leave five thousand Galleons. Padfoot, please help James to look after my son.  
_ " _To my friend Remus Lupin, I leave five thousand Galleons and the Potter holiday cottage in Cornwall. Moony, you always loved the seaside and despite what the others may have thought, I always knew that you were no traitor. I ask you to help Sirius and James look after my son, you always were the sane and sensible one of the group.  
_ " _To Peter Pettigrew, the secret keeper of the Fidelius charm that hides us, I leave either five thousand Galleons for your bravery, or thirty sickles if Voldemort found us."_

Albus halted as the Wizengamot erupted. Releasing another cannonblast, he turned an ashen face to Amelia Bones, the newly-appointed head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

"Amelia…"

"Get Black from Azkaban and bring him here so he can testify under veritaserum to the truth of what we just heard." Amelia acknowledged, rising from her seat. "I'll do it personally."

Albus nodded and turned back to the scroll that had just destroyed many of his beliefs about what had happened that fateful halloween.

" _To my friends Alice and Frank Longbottom, I leave five thousand Galleons to be held in a trust fund for your son Neville's Hogwarts education and material. I know you two don't want any charity from me, but when you let me hold young Neville, I could feel his magic burning strongly. With a proper wand, he will be amazing, maybe rivaling Dumbledore one day.  
_ " _To Amelia Bones, my colleague and sparring partner, I leave ten thousand galleons. Get some body armor, 'mels! Next time, it may not be just your eye that is damaged.  
_ " _To Albus Dumbledore, I leave five thousand Galleons and a small envelope in this will containing the address of a very good confectioner. I think you'll really like the sweets there, possibly more so than those lemon drops you are so addicted to."_

Albus had to pause as the Wizengamot laughed at the joke, then he continued with a sad smile on his face.

" _To my former Head of House, Minerva McGonagal, I leave five thousand Galleons and a pot of catnip. Minerva, you know why.  
_ " _To my favorite professor, Filius Flitwick, I leave five thousand Galleons and my recently acquired book 'Dueling strategies of the Chinese Mages'. I know that you've never been able to get your hands on a copy, well, now you do.  
_ " _To my Potions instructor Horace Slughorn, I leave five thousand Galleons and my thanks. You were the best Potions teacher a muggleborn like me could have had. If only more people saw the importance in what someone could be, and not who their ancestors were.  
_ " _Should James and I die together, all my previous bequests will still stand, except that our son Harry will inherit everything on his eleventh birthday. The following people (in order) are asked to take Harry in.  
_ " _Sirius Black. And Padfoot, if you corrupt him, James and I'll haunt you! Well, James may not, but I will! If you have any problems, get Remus to help you. In fact, do that anyway, we all know how erratic you can be.  
_ " _Frank and Alice Longbottom. Alice, please raise your godson as your own, I think that Harry and Neville will grow up to become brothers in all but blood.  
_ " _Amelia Bones. Your courage and loyalty to the light mean that you would be well-placed to raise Harry to be a true wizard of the light.  
_ " _Filius Flitwick. Your outlook on life and energy would make every day a joyous adventure for Harry.  
_ " _Minerva McGonagall. You managed to rein in my husband for seven years, I think that Harry would do very well under your care  
_ " _If all of the above are unable to take Harry in, then Albus Dumbledore is to see that Harry is adopted by a wizarding family. Failing that, he is to be raised at Hogwarts.  
_ " _Whoever takes Harry in is to receive a monthly stipend of three hundred Galleons for his wellbeing, the amount to be increased by fifty galleons per month each birthday. On his eighth birthday, Harry is to be granted access to the Potter Vault and his trust vault, but is forbidden from taking any money from the Potter Vault until he claims his full inheritance.  
_ " _Under_ no _circumstances is Harry to be sent to stay with my sister. Although she would probably accept him, the influence of her husband means that Harry would have a miserable life there.  
_ " _Written and signed by my own hand,  
_ " _Lily Potter, nee Evans."_

Albus stopped reading, his shoulders slumped as the enormity of his mistake crashed home on him, then he stepped across and began reading from the second scroll.

" _The Last Will and Testament of James Potter, written on the Third of September, 1981.  
_ " _Declaring that I am sound in both mind and body, I hereby declare this to be my Last Will and Testament, with all previous Wills being invalidated.  
_ " _Should I predecease my wife, Lily Potter, all my worldly goods are to be given to her with the the exception of the following bequests.  
_ " _To my best friend and brother in all but blood Sirius Black, the magical Godfather of my son Harry Potter, I leave ten thousand Galleons and the guest house on Potter Manor grounds, although I expect that Lily'll be kind enough to let him use his old room in the mansion itself. Please protect my wife and kid, Padfoot, and raise him up to be a true Marauder!  
_ " _To my friend Remus Lupin, I leave ten thousand Galleons and the Potter holiday cottage in Cornwall. Moony, Albus finally explained why you were gone so often. I was wrong about you. I'm sorry I ever doubted you and hope that you can forgive me.  
_ " _To Peter Pettigrew, the secret keeper of the Fidelius charm that hides us, I leave either ten thousand Galleons for your bravery, or my dying curse if Voldemort found us."  
_ " _To my friends Alice and Frank Longbottom, I leave five thousand Galleons to be held in a trust fund for your son Neville's Hogwarts education and material. Hopefully, Harry and Neville will continue the alliance between our houses.  
_ " _To Albus Dumbledore, I leave five thousand Galleons.  
_ " _To my former Head of House, Minerva McGonagal, I leave five thousand Galleons. You always claimed I was the reason your hair went grey, so now you can buy some dye for it.  
_ " _To, Filius Flitwick, I leave five thousand Galleons and my heartfelt thanks for those dueling tips you gave me. They saved my life several times.  
_ " _Should Lily and I die together, all my previous bequests will still stand, except that our son Harry will inherit everything on his eleventh birthday. The following people (in order) are asked to take Harry in.  
_ " _Sirius Black. And Padfoot, raise him to be a true Marauder. You know what I'm talking about. Get Moony to help you, we both know how unstable you can be at times.  
_ " _Frank and Alice Longbottom. Frank, please raise your wife's godson as your own, I think that Harry and Neville will grow up to become brothers in all but blood like Sirius and I did.  
_ " _Amelia Bones. You have our trust.  
_ " _Filius Flitwick. I agree with my wife on this one.  
_ " _Minerva McGonagall. We all know that despite your strict outlook, you're a real pussycat at heart.  
_ " _If all of the above are unable to take Harry in, then Albus Dumbledore is to see that Harry is adopted by a wizarding family. Failing that, he is to be raised at Hogwarts.  
_ " _Whoever takes Harry in is to receive a monthly stipend of three hundred Galleons for his well-being, the amount to be increased by fifty galleons per month each birthday. On his eighth birthday, Harry is to be granted access to the Potter Vault and his trust vault, but is forbidden from taking any money from the Potter Vault until he claims his full inheritance.  
_ " _Under no circumstances is Harry to be sent to stay with Lily's sister. Vernon is an example of what most Muggles are not. Harry is not to be placed anywhere near him.  
_ " _Written and Signed by my hand,  
_ " _James Potter of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter."_

The previous outcry of the Wizengamot seemed almost silent compared to the new uproar, then the noise quietened as Amelia re-entered with a quartet of Aurors escorting a dishevelled Sirious Black. They directed him to sit in the prisoner's chair in the middle of the hall and the chains wound themselves around his limbs, holding him firmly.

"Sirius Orion Black," Albus began, "You are here to testify to the Wizengamot about the events of Halloween, nineteen eighty-one."

"So I finally get a trial, huh?" Sirius croaked. "Okay, bring on the veritaserum."

Amelia stepped forwards and Sirius opened his mouth, allowing Amelia to place three drops into his tongue. Albus nodded and Amelia stepped back, ceding the questioning to Albus.

"What is your name?"

"Sirius Orion Black."

"What was your relationship with James and Lily Potter?"

"I was James' adoptive brother." Sirius said, his expression wistful. "He took me in after my family threw me out. James and Lily asked me to be Harry's Godfather, I agreed and took the full oath."

Several gasps were heard as the Wizengamot realized the enormity of the statement. A full oath meant that Sirius literally could not knowingly do _anything_ that would negatively impact on his charge's health and welfare. He ;iterally _could not_ have betrayed the Potters to Voldemort.

"Were you ever a Death Eater or loyal to Voldemort?"

"No, never."

"Were you the Potter's Secret Keeper?"

"No, we decided that everyone should think I was, but that Peter Pettigrew should be the true Secret Keeper as no-one would suspect him when I was the obvious choice. We never expected the rat to betray us."

"But you killed him."

"No, I didn't. I wanted to, but I didn't." Sirius responded, causing another flurry of gasps and whispers. "I confronted him, but he used a curse to blow up a gas main, then he turned into a rat and escaped down the sewer. It's all my fault, I should have been the secret keeper…"

"Pettigrew was an unregistered Animagus?" Albus asked sharply and Sirius nodded.

"We were. James was a stag, Lily a doe, Peter a rat."

"And you?"

"A mutt." Sirius giggled. "A black mutt, a mutt from a pureblood family, a pure-bred mongrel! An excellent joke."

"Was Pettigrew the one who betrayed the Potters?"

Sirius nodded jerkily. "He betrayed James and Lily, I wanted him dead, but I needed to catch him, make him pay, send him to Azkaban… why was I sent to Azkaban, was it because I couldn't protect James and Lily?"

"Then why were you convicted of betraying the Potters?"

"I was? I didn't know that, didn't have a trial, you see." Sirius replied. "No trial, just straight to jail, do not pass _go_ , do not collect two hundred dollars, just like in Lily's favourite game, she ususally won, you know, used to beat us all…"

Albus motioned for Amelia to administer the antidote and then he turned to face the Wizengamot.

"As Chief Warlock, I move that based on what we have just heard, we formally clear Sirius Black of all charges and award him damages for wrongful imprisonment. Furthermore, I move that Peter Pettigrew be stripped of his Order of Merlin and his name placed on the most wanted list."

There was no opposition to the move and the chains holding Sirius to the chair disengaged and dropped to hang loose.

"Where's Harry?" Sirius asked and the rising conversations in the Wizengamot cut off with a suddenness more commonly linked to an _Avada Kedavara_. Sirius looked round, horrified realisation dawning.

"What's happened to him? What's happened to my godson?!"

No-one was able to answer him.

.

* * *

.

Boy woke up as the cave started to be illuminated by the rising sun. Opening his eyes, he looked up and found his new mother smiling down at him, her arms reassuringly wrapped around him.

The previous three days had been somewhat frantic. They had traveled by night, Ahsoka carrying him whenever he got tired, making incredible leaps that he hoped to be able to copy one day, leaping on large vehicles seemingly at random, but something inside him told him that they had been the right ones.

Although he didn't know where they had ended up, it was on the coast, a secluded cove with an entrance that they had very nearly missed, an entrance concealed by long grass and bushes. The large cave they had settled into faced across the cove and in addition was semi-concealed by a ridge of granite, rather than simply facing out to sea, and a small stream ran through it, providing them with plenty of water. Ahsoka had been pleased with the cave and they had settled into it with Ahsoka first setting up an odd device at the point where the stream came from the wall, a device which took the stone-tasting water and removed the taste of stone.

With a yawn, Boy lifted his head from Ahsoka's shoulder, allowing her to rise. Pulling himself into a seated position, Boy rubbed at his eyes, trying to finish waking up even as rustles announced that Ahsoka was getting dressed, pulling more clothing on over the hip-wrap that was all she wore at hight.

A tap on his shoulder caused him to look up and he smiled as Ahsoka handed him a small cup filled with water. Taking a few sips, he reached across to where his own clothes had been put and unfolded them, ready to help his new mother however he could.

.

Ahsoka glanced at her datapad as she pulled out several tins of food that they had _liberated_ from Boy's former owners. The screen showed that the translation program had finished with over ninety-five percent of the words identified and she quickly activated the summary screen. Her perusal showed that several of the books she had scanned had been an encyclopedia set, something which allowed for high-speed cross-referencing and which gave her the pronounciation of many words, as well as a list of plants and animals with notifications on which ones were poisonous to humans.

She smiled broadly, the program would really help her in communicating with her charge, and would let her learn the native language, the _English_ herself. Setting up the cooking-stove on a convenient ledge, she paused, then rummaged through the pack for the solar converter. Using her technology would make life far easier, but power needed to come from somewhere and using the sunlight to recharge the power cells would allow them to use the technology for longer.

Turning back, she used her lightsaber to slice open the tins, pouring the contents into two different pans, then placed then on the stove and keyed it for low-medium heat. The meat-products she now was able to read the name of, _Hot Dogs_ (whatever they were), started to cook in the near-water they came in while the beans soon started to bubble in their red sauce. Although food could soon be a problem, Ahsoka planned to test different ways of claiming the bounty of the sea and, if needed, travel to the nearby dwelling clusters to scavenge for food.

In the meantime, she would teach Boy how to read, write and perform mathematics, as well as training him in the basic mental and physical aspects of the way of the Jedi.

.

As Boy scrubbed the containers clean in water that had been heated on the stove, Ahsoka pulled out her lightsaber and began to change the cave. The first thing she did was to carefully cut out a pair of deep, narrow trenches in the floor, each almost as deep as her lightsaber blade. Once the cuts were made, Ahsoka used the Force to levitate the cut rock out of the trenches, moving the stone wedges to near the front of the cave. Pausing only to widen one of the trenches, she then cut down and across, the blade slowly cutting through the stone as she turned the two trenches into one large, squared-off hole, then after levitating the resulting stone cube out she carefully used her lightsaber to smooth the corners and base of the hole until it was a round-cornered rectangle, with carefully-cut steps descending into it on one side and a bench that stretched around two of the other sides. A few more minutes work, by now under Boy's awestruck gaze, created a small channel leading out to rejoin the stream-bed near the mouth of the cave, and another channel leading to a diagonal pipe that led to the base of the bath-to-be, emerging under the steps.

As the redirected stream started to fill the large bath, Ahsoka pushed a submersible water-flow heating unit into the pipe, then ran the power cable round to where the outflow channel went over a small ridge. She carved a small but deep hole at the entrance to the cave and put in a small hydro-generator, one that was standard equipment for a deep-covert mission since it could use almost any type of liquid current to generate power without a betraying energy signature. A few moments more and Ahsoka had connected the solar converter as well, placing the black panels above the cave mouth, angled to catch as much of the light as possible, then the power collector/distributor which would store the power that the small but highly-efficient water heater didn't use.

Turning her attention away from the bath, which would also double as the source of heat for the cave when the weather turned colder, Ahsoka then carved two slots near the entrance to the cave, flanking the streambed, and placed the stone wedges in them point-upwards, carving them slightly to fit firmly. The stone cube that had been removed to make the bath soon was carved into a strong table with a single, large central pedestal, as well as several stone stools for her and Boy to sit on as they ate or used the table for Boy's lessons. The table and stools were moved to near the entrance to catch the light, then Ahsoka had a thought.

Another rummage through the bag pulled out the survival tent and several sheets, one of which was transparent. Using the spike-gun, Ahsoka embedded several hooks on the outside of the stone wedges, as well as the walls and roof of the cave, then used them to secure the two transparent sheets, leaving only the middle clear and improving the heat retention of the cave without sacrificing light. Two more sheets, these ones not transparent, wrapped around tent poles and with thin cords looped round them, provided curtains that could be easily lowered to keep the light in at night, or raised to the roof to let in as much reflected sunlight as possible, as well as providing a good excuse to break for lunch.

To Ahsoka's surprise, Boy had been using the datapad. She had set it for _english_ and Boy had managed to access some of the encyclopedia files, using the touch-screen aspect to listen to each word and repeat it. Occasionally, he would say the word before activating the speech-program and Ahsoka's brows rose in astonished respect as she realized how fast he was learning. Reaching out, she tapped his shoulder to get his attention and spoke one of the words she was already certain of how to pronounce.

"Food."

Boy nodded and Ahsoka smiled as he started to rummage though the pack, producing another tin. Opening it above a container, she poured the liquid out of the tin and placed it on the heating-pad to prepare for lunch. As she did so, she frowned slightly. Perhaps she should use some of the piping to divert some of the water for use in cooking and so on. Maybe to a channel in the wall with a small sluice for a tap? And for keeping food cool, some sort of rock box with cold water cascading down the sides to carry the heat away? If it worked, it would be better in the long run than relying on a cooling unit with the constant power drain, the water heater alone reduced how much power there was to spare.

.

Boy sipped at the soup, enjoying its flavour and the warm feeling it gave him. The warmth was nothing compared to how he felt sitting beside his new mother who was looking at the datapad and occasionally sounding out familiar words. Boy wanted to learn his mother's language, maybe she would teach him once they could speak to each other properly.

While Boy had learned much from the pad, it had been between bouts of watching his mother do incredible things. The odd green line of light she used could cut through rock, leaving it smooth and, for a while, rather warm.

A splashing noise caught his attention and he looked across to see that the bath had filled enough that the water was flowing out through the channel and across to the hole near the entrance containing the odd device that Ahsoka had placed. A green light on the device indicated it was doing something. From the way Ahdoka glanced at it and smiled, it was doing what it was supposed to do and Boy didn't need to worry.

Once they had finished the soup, Boy watched as Ahsoka heated up more water, then he started to clean the container they had used to heat the soup, the two bowls and the spoons, as well as rinsing out the cups they had drunk from. By the time he had finished, Ahsoka was again doing amazing things with the cutting light, using the remaining rocks from the bath to create new things.

With a loving smile, Boy touched the datapad and continued to read.

.

* * *

.

As Ahsoka lay back, Boy already fast asleep with his head pillowed on her shoulder, she smiled at how well the day had gone. Although she had virtually emptied the survival pack doing so, she had turned the cave into a home.

The hardest part had been creating a place to get rid of bodily waste without stinking up the place, but by scanning the area with another one of the special features that Anakin had built into her datapad, Ahsoka had found another, larger cave system nearby, one which held a colony of flying animals and which, when she visited, smelled quite pungent. Using her lightsaber in conjunction with a long stick and judicious usage of Force lifting, she had managed to carve a long, wide pipe from an alcove near the front of the cave down to the cave through four meters of solid rock. Once the pipe had been carved, she replaced the plug at the top after carving a small S-shaped pipe through it and then placed a hollow seat on it, a seat which in turn was connected to a pipe that terminated at a small cistern she had carved into the wall. Pulling a cord raised the plug at the bottom of the cistern which in turn let the water flow, flushing away the waste down into the other cave. A half-remembered memory had made her include a small angled pipe from below the water-lock to outside, thus stopping back-pressure from expelling the contents of the toilet in the wrong direction. A hung curtain for privacy, several carved vents to get rid of any nasty smells and a small sink in the wall for hand-washing completed it, and just in time. Boy had been the first one to use it although Ahsoka had followed soon after.

After doing that, adjusting the kitchen area had been simplicity incarnate and had been finished just in time for a late evening meal. After that, they had tested out the new bath, washing using the small basin and mini waterfall Ahsoka had carved where the outflow from the bath reached the rock lip, then soaking in the main bath itself, luxuriating in the heat of the water leaching away the tensions of the day. After Boy had almost dozed off for the third time, Ahsoka had carried him out of the bath, wiped the water off him and herself, finished drying them with a small towel and then pausing only to get their underwear back on, climbed straight into bed, pulling him close to her as she did so. He had been asleep even before she had dropped the towel.

Closing her eyes, Ahsoka entered a light meditative trance in preparation for falling asleep.

It was definitely one of the better camp sites that she had made. Anakin would have been proud of her.

If only she could find out what Boy's real name was.


	4. Changes

Molly Weasley accepted the paper from the owl in the window and placed it on the table before returning to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. A moment later, a shuffling noise announced the arrival of her beloved husband Arthur and she handed over a mug of coffee for him to drink.

With a fond smile for his wife, Arthur took a sip of coffee, glanced at the headline of the Daily Prophet and promptly exhaled in shock, spraying coffee over the (fortunately empty) table.

"Arthur, what's wrong?" Molly asked, pulling her wand out to clean up the mess. Arthur, still choking and spluttering, turned the paper slightly so that she could see the headline.

_The Boy Who Was Abused!_

In shocked silence, they read the long article, leaving Bill to run past them into the kitchen and salvage breakfast before it burned.

"Oh, that poor boy." Molly finally said, her voice showing her distress. "What did Albus think he was doing?"

.

* * *

.

Molly was at the window even before the owl had touched down. Taking the paper, she handed it to Arthur who placed it on the table while Molly dropped five knuts into the owl's leg-pouch.

As the owl flew off, Molly moved to join Arthur, Bill and Charlie at the table, where they saw the newest headline.

_Search for Boy-who-vanished  
_ _Chinese And Japanese Join Search_

The four Weasleys read the paper avidly, Molly shedding tears as more details of how the greatest living hero of the wizarding world had been treated.

"How could those Muggles _do_ that to him? How could they mistreat a child like that?" Molly sobbed as Arthur hugged her.

"I know, Molly-wobbles." He half-whispered reassuringly, "but have you seen how the other Muggles have responded? They've already launched a national campaign to find him, using their terrylisson and their radio, not to mention all their newspapers."

"Hey, mom," Bill said slowly, "Does this mean that the author of those books you brought for Ginny was lying?"

Molly froze for a moment, then her expression hardened.

"He must have been! How could he! Ginny _loves_ that series!"

"Uh-oh," Charlie whispered. "I think she's going to send a Howler!"

.

* * *

.

Arthur stared in near-shock at the headline of the paper. Percy had joined the group in their newest daily ritual, reading about the search for the missing Harry Potter.

_Wills Read In Wizengamot – Warlock In Wrong!  
_ _Black Falsely Imprisoned – Real Traitor On Run_

_In a shocking turn of events, the wills of James and Lily Potter, two of the greatest heroes of the war against You-Know-Who, were unsealed and publicly read before the Wizengamot. The results proved that much of what we know about the night You-Know-Who was defeated by The-Boy-Who-Lived is wrong!  
_ _As everyone knew, on that fateful night, Sirius Black betrayed the Potters to You-Know-Who, who traveled to Godric's Hollow to kill them. Lily Potter sacrificed herself in an attempt to save her son, leading to You-Know-Who's killing curse bouncing off the young infant, destroying You-Know-Who utterly. Soon after, Sirius Black was confronted by Peter Pettigrew. In the confrontation, Sirius fired an explosive curse that killed Peter, leaving only a finger intact, and a dozen Muggles, a crime for which he was imprisoned in Azkaban for life.  
_ _But the story is wrong!  
_ _The real secret keeper, as stated in the Wills and confirmed by Sirius Black under Veritaserum, was none other than Peter Pettigrew! A former member of the group known as the Marauders, Peter Pettigrew was, like James Potter, Lily Potter and Sirius Black, an unregistered Animagus, having the form of a brown rat. It was none other than Pettigrew who betrayed the Potters to You-Know-Who and when Sirius confronted him, Pettigrew used a blasting curse to cause a large explosion before fleeing into the sewers in his rat form, leaving a single finger behind. The aurors that responded to the confrontation, in the mistaken belief that Black was the traitor, arrested him and he was sent to Azkaban without a trial, there held until the reading of the Wills cleared him of the horrendous crime he had been accused of._

_The true story of the night You-Know-Who was defeated – Page 2  
_ _Animagi, how to spot them in their animal forms – Page 3  
_ _Bounty on Pettigrew – 500,000 Galleons for his capture – Page 4  
_ _No sign of Boy-Who-Lived, the search continues – Page 5  
_ _The Wills of James and Lily Potter – Page 6_

Bill frowned slightly. "Dad, if an animagi is injured as a human, would the animal have the same injury?"

"I think so." Arthur said, not seeing where Bill was going. Percy, however, inhaled sharply.

"Scabbers is missing a toe on his front paw! Which finger did Pettigrew lose?"

Arthur and Molly stared at each other, then they almost exploded from their seats and sprinted up the stairs to Percy's room, the three oldest following them. Flinging open the door, they stared at the open cage.

"Percy, please tell me that you closed the cage last time you cleaned it out." Arthur said quietly.

"I always close and lock it." Percy said, sounding as if Arthur had insulted his dignity, then he caught sight of the open cage. "How did Scabbers _do_ that?"

"With this." Arthur said heavily, picking up a small loop of thread lying just outside the cage. "Looks like he had practice… Molly, grab the others and get them to the Lovegoods, fast, but quietly. I'll call the Aurors."

Molly nodded and shooed the kids back down the stairs. "Ginny, Ron, Fred, George, we're going out!"

Looking round, Arthur cast a quick detection spell and breathed a small sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, he probably didn't overhear."

.

The flames in the fireplace turned green and people started to pour out. The first one out turned into a black dog even as he landed, then turned back, his expression fierce.

"The rat's here. His scent is unmistakable."

"I assume you set the wards to lockdown?" Amelia Bones asked and Arthur nodded.

"No-one in, no-one out. Only the floo connection remains open."

"I'm looking forwards to meeting little Peter again." Another man growled and Sirius placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Easy, Moony. He's trapped here with us, and between Padfoot and you, we can find him, no matter where he is."

Remus nodded slowly, his eyes intent. "Do you think he had anything to do with Harry vanishing?"

"I don't think so." Sirius said as yet another person entered through the fireplace. "But once we get the rat caged, we can then concentrate on finding Prongslet."

Remus nodded and fingered his wand almost impatiently as the floo finally stopped disgorging people.

"Alright, we all know why we are here." Amelia barked. "Somewhere here is the traitor Peter Pettigrew, rat animagus. He could be hiding _anywhere_ , so keep casting your detection spells and stay in groups of three. As soon as he realises that we're after him, he'll get desperate."

"Sirius and I will search as a pair." Remus said with a feral grin. "We _knew_ him, not as well as we thought we did, but well enough for this. He'll probably head out the back as soon as he realises that you're searching for him, Padfoot and I can cover ground the fastest and have the best chance of catching him."

Amelia nodded. "I agree. Alright, spread out, but stay with your partners. Stun on sight."

Remus loped to the door and opened it, allowing the canine form of Padfoot to run past.

"What did they mean that between them they'd have the best chance?" one of the Aurors asked and Amelia looked round.

"Remus is a werewolf and it was full moon last night, so his senses are still enhanced. Factor in werewolf speed and tenacity plus Sirius' Animagi senses, Pettigrew will be captured in short order if he runs. Arthur, Shacklebolt, secure the Floo and hide the powder. Moody, you're with me. Get scanning! "

The aged, heavily scarred auror with the false leg and the artificial eye that was swiveling in all directions nodded. "Already looking, but the background magic's making it hard. Arthur, when you get the reward, I'd recommend tearing the house down and rebuilding. Must cost you a _lot_ of magic to keep it up as it is."

Arthur nodded as the auror clomped off, wand in hand ready for action.

.

Peter emerged from where he had dragged another knut that had fallen down the back of the settee. He was starting to accumulate quite a stash, thus making it easier should he be forced to flee. His musings were suddenly found to be prophetic when on his way back to his cage, he found himself looking at a bowel-looseningly familiar false-leg-and-boot.

Mad-eye Moody, the Auror from hell!

Peter jolted backwards in shock, just as a _stupefy_ hit the spot that he had been standing. Turning tail, Peter dashed as fast as he could away from the devil-auror and the person with him, jinking in panic to avoid the red-flash rain of spells and he reached a small hole in the wall between rooms and squeezed through it.

"He's heading for the living room! Use locator spells!"

Peter would have sworn had he been in human mode, that was the voice of Amelia Bones, head of the DMLE and she obviously knew _what_ he was! That meant that there were more of them, he had to get out of there!

The wall just behind him shattered as a spell punched through and Peter fled, heading for a gap in the floor. Squirming through it, he almost voided his bowels as another spell gouged the wood so close to his tail that he felt the tingling of the spell-energy, then he was through the hole and squeezing down between two walls.

Even then, he wasn't safe as portions of the wall were ripped out and hands tried to grab him, occasionally coming close enough that they pulled out small but painful clumps of fur. Finally he made it to the crack he was aiming for and squeezed through. Now that he was outside, he could escape and…

His thoughts vanished into a panicked squeal as a set of slobbering, sharp-toothed jaws that were somehow familiar scooped him up off the ground. Petrified by fear and unwilling to transform in case whatever had caught him chose to hurt him, he twitched slightly, catching a glimpse of a shape covered in black fur…

Oh no.

Padfoot.

"Hello, Wormtail." Another voice from his past almost purred and Peter looked up to see the familiar form of Remus Lupin brandishing a wand. "Padfoot, pull!"

Padfoot's head whipped down, then up and Peter squealed as he found himself arcing into the air, then a red light engulfed him and he knew no more.

.

"We got him."

Remus strode into the Burrow, his prize grasped firmly in hand, then he stopped and looked round at the wrecked room and the holes in the walls.

"Merlin's grey beard!" Sirius gasped from behind him. "What happened? It looks like the aftermath of James' bachelor party, except Moony isn't dressed as a ballerina, Moody isn't singing the teapot song and I haven't lost my trousers."

Remus facepalmed as the Aurors who had overheard his statement stared at him, the faces of several of them working as they desperately tried not to laugh, except for one who was scowling furiously.

" _Thank_ you, Padfoot." Remus growled after a moment. "Can we get back to business now? Madam Bones, may I hand the wanted fugitive Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail, over to you?"

Amelia motioned and Shacklebolt picked up a small cage. Holding it out, he closed it firmly after Remus deposited the stunned rat into it. Waving her wand above the still form, Amelia nodded as the rat was briefly surrounded by a red glow.

"Animagus confirmed, and since we have no rats on the list, he isn't registered. Take him back to HQ. Mr Black…"

"Sirius, please."

"Mr Black," Amelia repeated in a firm tone, "In light of your wrongful imprisonment, the DMLE will retroactively place you on the Animagus register without any penalties. In addition, you both have the official thanks of the DMLE for your aid in apprehending this… traitor."

"Excellent." Sirius said. "Now, if you'll excuse us, Remus and I need to get to Gringotts. Remus has pointed out that with Harry missing, the next person in line to inherit the Black fortune is Draco Malfoy. Against my _better_ judgement," Sirius paused to glare at Remus, "I'm going to claim my Lordship and deal with a few family issues, such as a cousin or two to be thrown out and one to be brought back in."

"And your Wizengamot duties, Heir Black?" Amelia enquired, causing Sirius to grin and Remus to look worriedly at him.

"Well, with my godson missing, I won't have much time to spend with that collection of old farts. Not that they'd appreciate my sheer awesomeness, anyway."

Remus rolled his eyes as Sirius clapped him on his shoulder.

"That's why I'm going to ask my good friend Moony to deal with most of the boring things like Wizengamot meetings and looking after the Black estate. He loves that stuff, he was always the scholar of the group."

"A werewolf on the Wizengamot?" Amelia gasped, then her eyes narrowed.

"Yep!" Sirius chortled. "No laws against a werewolf acting as a proxy!"

Remus stood stock-still, opening and closing his mouth as Sirius continued, his voice suddenly serious. "With Remus backing me up, my chances of finding Harry go _way_ up. Remus was always the planner of the group, James and I were the idea and action men. With the full Black fortune at Remus' disposal and all the links of the Black family, we'll be able to find Prongslet."

"Wait." Amilia said, her mind having finally managed to catch the part of a previous sentence that had been niggling at her. "Moody sang the _teapot_ song? I have a Pensieve at home, who has the memory?"

"Don't make me Obliviate you." A familiar voice growled.

.

The entire Weasley family gathered round the table in the Rookery, looking at the newest edition of the Daily Prophet and the picture of them on the front cover. For the benefit of the younger children who couldn't yet read properly, Arthur read the headline and story for them.

_Family Unearths Traitor  
_ _Pettigrew Placed On Trial_

_In a stunning turn of events, the man who betrayed the Potter family, Peter Pettigrew, was captured due to the observant nature of the Weasley family. The rat animagus chose to hide as the pet of the third son, Percy, since Arthur Weasley is a trusted department head at the Ministry of Magic and as such, Peter believed that he could use that to keep track of what was going on in the belief that You-Know-Who would one day return, and when he did Pettigrew would rejoin his master.  
_ _Placed on trial in front of the entire Wizengamot and forced to take Veritaserum, Pettigrew admitted his treason and was sentenced to life in Azkaban. At Lord Black's request, Pettigrew was condemned to be placed in the very cell that had once housed Sirius Black once anti-animagus wards had been emplaced to prevent him from escaping.  
_ _In a notable expression of gratitude, Amelia Bones, head of the DMLE, had this to say. "We are grateful for the actions of the Weasley family, who will be getting the reward for alerting us the the whereabouts of this wanted fugitive. Since the home of the Weasleys suffered severe damage due to Pettigrew's actions during his apprehension, the DMLE will provide financial restitution to allow the Burrow to be rebuilt."  
_ _Lord Black added, "Arthur Weasley is a brave man who acted with courage and honor. The House of Black is honored to announce its alliance with the House of Weasley, and in addition to the reward given to them by the DMLE, the House of Black will pay the Hogwarts tuition fees for all seven children. Their bravery and quick-thinking has brought one of the most dangerous criminals in the Wizarding World to justice."  
_ _We at the Daily Prophet can only agree with both Madam Bones and Lord Black, and extend our own congratulations to the Weasley family._

_Pettigrew's trial – Page 2  
_ _The new heroes, the Weasley family – Pages 3 and 4  
_ _Lord Black appoints schoolfriend as his Seneschal – Page 5  
_ _Search for Boy-Who-Vanished continues – Pages 6 to 9  
_ _Lyrics to the Teapot Song – Page 10_

A piercing blue eye and a magical eye glared at the paper's final line, then the figure reading the article pulled himself out of his chair and stalked out of the living room and into the kitchen, his every other step being the _thunk_ of wood against the floor. Halting in the kitchen, he threw the paper into the fireplace, then swung the kettle to above the flames.

After a moment, he began so sing softly.

"I'm a little teapot, short and stout…"

.

* * *

.

Ahsoka sat cross-legged on the sand, Boy sat opposite her. For the past week, Ahsoka had studied the _English_ language as hard as she could, using meditation techniques taught to her by the Jedi Temple to boost her rate of learning and checking against the transmissions that she could pick up on the datapad.

It hadn't helped that some of them were in a completely different language. Fortunately, she had marked the frequencies used and disregarded them.

Now, it was time to start the training.

She had carefully scripted, translated and rehearsed her speech.

"Close your eyes. Breath deeply and reach out with your mind. Feel the breeze through your hair, the sun on your skin and the sand beneath you."

Ahsoka stretched out, seeking to find Boy's Force signature, then she felt like she was being pulled in. Opening her eyes, she found herself in a bizarre, half-formed land with grey mists filled with floating sparkles. Touching a dark-red sparkle, she gasped as a memory rolled over her.

"… _your fault! You've been doing freakish things again!" Ver'on shouted.  
Boy shook his head, but Ver'on grabbed his arm, pulling it painfully as he dragged him to the hallway.  
Slamming open the cupboard door Ver'on hurled Boy into the hole head-first, causing the world to vanish in a wash of pain…_

Ahsoka gasped as the memory released her. She was inside Boy's mind!

"Mommy?"

Ahsoka followed the voice and found Boy on the ground, but he was smaller and weaker than the Boy she saw every day. In a sudden burst of intuition, Ahsoka realized that she was seeing how Boy saw himself.

"Mommy?"

"I'm here." Ahsoka said gently, gathering the child into her arms and wiping his tears off his cheeks. "I'm here for you."

Boy hugged her, then his gaze moved, fixating on something hidden in the mists.

"What is it?"

Boy shrugged, his face tight with suppressed fear. "Scary."

Ahsoka drew her lightsaber and ignited it. "Than let's see what it is, and if it's bad, I'll defeat it for you."

Even as Boy nodded, Ahsoka felt his mind opening completely to her. Almost breathless at the innocent trust he had in her, Ahsoka followed his thoughts to where something odd was curled. Even before she saw it, she knew it was not natural, that it should not be there.

"Mommy…" Boy whimpered as the thing came into view and Ahsoka's face set. The thing might have once been a snake, but its scales were grey, with a sickly green ooze dripping out from them and holding them together. In several places, the scales were completely missing, showing that instead of muscle underneath, it was more of the green ooze binding the scales to a skeleton. The rotting fangs in the mouth dripped a dull red liquid while the sightless eyesockets seemed to stare at them.

"What is that?"

"Dead." Ahsoka stated as her instincts started to sound mental alarms. "But I don't think I can do it alone, I need your help. Together, we can destroy this thing."

Boy nodded jerkily, then he seemed to fade out of sight. Before Ahsoka could begin to panic, she felt him seem to infuse her, the inner strength that she had caught glimpses of suddenly hers to command.

Her lightsaber burned with a purple light and she strode forwards towards the dead snake.

The snake lunged at her, but Ahsoka was already dodging, her enhanced blade skipping along the scales, causing it to hiss in pain but not doing any real damage. Wherever it hit the ooze, the green slime burst into flame, but she was not doing enough damage, the snake was forcing her back.

Then the battle changed.

A new figure, made from silvery fog, appeared out of nowhere and threw some sort of energy at the snake. Faced with a new threat, the snake turned and in doing so, briefly exposed a small scale-less patch on the back of its head, a target which Ahsoka capitalized on instantly, leaping forwards to plunge her lightsaber to the hilt into the snake's skull. With a screech that could shatter diamond, the snake erupted into flames that flared brightly, then died to reveal only the scattered scales and teeth that were all that remained.

For a long moment, Ahsoka stared at the scales, barely aware that Boy had reappeared in her arms, then the wispy figure was in front of them, reaching out to lightly touch Boy's cheek, before turning its… no, _her_ gaze to Ahsoka.

" _In you I place my trust."_ The figure seemed to whisper. _"In your hands I place my son. Take these memories from the thing you destroyed and use them as you see fit, teach my son what he needs to know. My son, remember always, I love you, as does your new mother."_

The figure faded away, leaving both of them awestruck, then Ahsoka looked down at the scattered scales.

"Memories, hmmm? Boy, the snake left these behind, but they may be bad. I think it would be best if I took them for now and as you get older, I'll teach you everything from those memories that you need to know."

"Okay." Boy said, hugging her fiecely. "Okay mommy."

"It'll be alright, son." Ahsoka said, seeing tears of joy appear in Boy's eyes as she confirmed they were now truly family. Concentrating, she pulled up memories of learning to meditate in the Jedi Temple and passed them to her son.

"Look at these and see if they help while I tidy up." She said and Boy nodded as he accepted the memories she offered him.

.

* * *

.

Ahsoka opened her eyes after another intense session sorting through the memories that the _thing_ in her son's head had left behind when it had been destroyed. Although it had given her full command of English and quite a bit of knowledge about the culture and geography of the world she was on (including the fact that it hadn't been contacted by any other species), the man who had sent that soul fragment into his scar had been a monster, a blight on the face of any sentient species.

At least she now knew her son's name.

Harry James Potter.

No. Harry James Potter- _Tano_. Her son. Linked by a bond stronger by far than mere blood.

Her gaze sharpened as she returned her concentration back to the real world. Even with the faster processing speed that Jedi meditation provided, Ahsoka had spent over four hours every day and a similar amount at night for the past week just reviewing and sorting through the knowledge contained in the scales.

Soon she would be ready to start reviewing the knowledge on Magic.

Ahsoka looked across the beach and her eyes widened as she saw her son sitting in a meditative trance… three feet above the shingle!

Carefully keeping quiet so as to not disturb his concentration, Ahsoka slowly circled her son, reaching out with her Force senses to confirm what she was seeing.

In barely a week, Harry had managed to achieve a level that had taken her over a _year_ to achieve!

"…wow."

He minor exhalation of amazement was enough to attract Harry's attention and his eyes opened, just before he fell. With lightning reflexes, Ahsoka caught him, slowing his fall so that he didn't hurt himself on the stones and pebbles.

"What happened?"

"You did it." Ahsoka smiled at him. "You managed the floating meditation. As you get better, you'll be able to come out of it without falling, but there is no rush. You are already far ahead of where I thought you'd be."

"You gave me your memories, I just followed them." Harry said shyly and Ahsoka managed not to hit her forehead as the logic unfolded. When she had given him copies of her memories of meditation, she had also unwittingly given him some of the _experience_ she had accumulated, thus giving him a better starting point.

No wonder he had progressed so fast.

"It's almost time for tea." Ahsoka said, pulling Harry to her side and draping her arm around him. "By now, the fish should be almost cooked."

Harry nodded. He had helped to catch the fish yesterday, but felt guilty about it until Ahsoka had explained to him that it was all right to catch fish, so long as they _used_ it, rather than throwing it away. By using as much of it as they could, it showed they appreciated the fish and respected it.

Besides, she could _feel_ Harry's hunger by now.

Together, mother and son walked to the steps that led up to their cave-home.

.

* * *

.

"Mom?"

Ahsoka woke and stretched before opening her eyes. Breathing deeply, she sat up.

"Yes, Harry?"

Harry gave her a worried look, then his gaze moved to the entrance. He had drawn back the curtains but left the door-curtain in position. The fabric billowed as the wind picked up outside, the cold air slicing through the gaps like blades of ice.

"Looks bad." Harry said as Ahsoka rose, pulling on her tunic as she did so. Walking across to the door, she pulled it open slightly and sniffed the air. Pulling her head back in, she let the door-curtain swing shut, the rock weights along the bottom holding it closed despite the wind.

"I think we should remain inside today." Ahsoka decided as another cold gust sliced through the gaps around the door and Harry nodded in total agreement.

"Looks yucky out there." He declared and Ahsoka smiled at him.

"I think we should use the bath before breakfast to warm up. Come on."

Harry followed her to the hot tub.

.

The rain lashed against the windows and Sirius looked out with a disgusted expression.

"Of all the days for you to decide to invite me over for a housewarming celebration." He said, glancing over at the other occupant of the room. From his comfortable armchair, Remus shrugged.

"While the weather isn't great, it gets you away from politics for a while, even if I cover most of it for you."

"True." Sirius admitted, throwing himself into the matching armchair. "I'm not sure how much more I can take from _Luscious_. Sure, Narcissa and her son've been disowned from the Black Clan, but at least I didn't do anything else to them."

"I think he had his heart set on young Draco becoming the next Lord Black." Remus explained. "When you officially cast out Bellatrix and Narcissa and reinstated Andromeda, that totally screwed up his hopes of claiming the Black fortune."

Sirius smirked at the memory of Malfoy's expression when Remus, acting in his role as Seneshal, had almost casually mentioned the three actions which had sent shockwaves through the wizarding political world.

Remus had shown him the resulting outcry using the Black family Pensieve. Sirius had laughed about it for the rest of the day.

"How's the search going?"

Sirius sighed and accepted a tumbler of firewhisky. "Not good. It's as if he just _disappeared_. The Goblins have confirmed that the Potter Vault is still active, so he's alive. Albus _finally_ handed the keys over, so the vaults are secure, but… it's as if he just vanished from the face of the planet. As if someone literally came out of nowhere and took him away. Even the Muggles are stumped, I've personally spoken to the captain in charge of the case about it. Heh, turns out he's a cousin of mine, his dad was my uncle Marius, a squib who was disowned for his lack of magic. I've already pledged the Black Vaults to paying the full tuition fees for any of his kids who have magic, as well as half of the tuition for those who don't, and retroactively reinstated his dad. He's got the Black genes, his wife's a beauty."

Remus' eyebrows had risen during Sirius' recitation, then he took a small sip of his own firewhisky.

"I've contacted the packs and mentioned the reward, as well as your support for Werewolf rights. They've agreed to spread the word about Harry, but something else came up."

Sirius looked at him curiously and Remus sighed.

"Several of the packs want a formal alliance. They're willing to pledge themselves in exchange for support. The current rules make finding work almost impossible, so…"

Sirius frowned in thought, then he grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Loads of wolves to romp with every full moon, and maybe some nice lady-wolves too? Sure, but where can they go?"

"I've been reviewing your properties, and I came across this one." Remus said, pulling out a file and handing it across. "With some tweaking of the wards, it would be almost ideal for a werewolf pack."

Sirius scanned the pages in the file, pausing at several points, then he nodded and passed it back.

"Do it. I'll want to meet the pack leaders to hash out the agreement first, though. You'll be on my side for that, but I want it as fair as possible. And see if you can hire tutors, most of them will be missing out on education because of their furry problems."

Remus nodded as he returned the file to the accordion-case by his chair. "You realize the Ministry will go nuts over this?"

Sirius shrugged. "So? The Black Family has always been seen as Dark, recruiting Dark Creatures to work for me fits in with that nicely. Besides, if the rumours are true and Mouldyshorts _does_ have a way of returning, I've just stolen several werewolf packs from him. What's with that look?"

"Just… impressed." Remus admitted. "You didn't use to be someone who looked before leaping."

"And look what it got me." Sirius replied, his voice sober. "Four years. And only the loss of my godson got me out. How long would I have remained there if he hadn't vanished?"

Remus shrugged as another gust of wind briefly drowned out any reply he could have made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that some people won't understand why Ahsoka's lightsaber changed color.  
> To those poor unfortunates who've never played Lego Star Wars, I offer my pity and sympathy.  
> To those who have, I hope you liked the little joke.


	5. Discussions

Hermione sat down on the bench and looked out at the sea view as she licked the ice cream in her hand. She and her mother were visiting her mother's cousin in Botallack while her dad (and her mother's-cousin's husband) played a round of golf at the Cape Cornwell Golf Course.

And she was bored.

She had already read through the books they had brought with them, devouring them during the long car journey from London, and the nearest library was several miles away in the town of St Just.

Having nothing better to do, she turned her attention to where Emma and Rhonda were talking.

"… and recently, the Sunset Lady rescued a child who'd got lost."

Hermione rose from her seat and walked over, her curiosity piqued.

"Sunset Lady?"

Rhonda nodded. "She's become something of a legend. No-one _really_ knows if she exists or not, but she always wears a hooded cloak and her skin is red with white lines. What makes her a legend, though, is that people say they've seen her leaping across rooftops and running up the walls and occasionally vanishing silently! Sometimes a smaller person is with her, no-one knows who they are."

Rhonda's voice dropped slightly as she leaned forwards.

"Some say that she's the spirit of a woman who waits for her family to return from the sea. Mr Lupin was interested in it, he's looking for any possible references to her in the past and he's found a couple of local legends that we think are her with a different name."

"Mr Lupin?"

"New arrival, lives near Lower Boscaswell." Rhonda said. "A real scholar and quite the gentleman, always polite. He once pulled a toddler out of the way of a car, you know, he's a bit of a local hero. Always happy to help at the library, never happier when surrounded by books and teaching others, although he says he doesn't plan on doing it professionally. Such a pity, he'd be a real boost to whichever school got him."

"You have a crush on him, don't you?" Emma teased and Rhonda blushed furiously.

"It's just… he seems to have this.. _aura_ about him, like he's a bad boy turned good, you know? I think half the ladies in the area moon over him, and his friend isn't too bad either. _Real_ bad boy, that one. Always flirting, keeps joking that he's a real _dawg_. Odd name, though, who names their son _Sirius_?"

"The Sunset Lady?" Hermione prompted and Rhonda laughed.

"I only know a little bit, how about tomorrow we head to the library? Mr Lupin might be there to answer your questions, or the librarian has been helping to find the legends. It's nice to think that there's still things we don't understand."

Hermione looked slightly indignant at that. From her viewpoint, learning and understanding was _far_ superior to simply saying _oooh_ and _aaah_ and not trying to understand.

There had to be an explanation for the Sunset Lady, all she had to do was find it.

Hermione mentally nodded as she accepted her self-imposed challenge.

"Quite advanced, isn't she?" Rhonda whispered as Hermione wandered back to the bench she had been sat on. "Hard to believe she's only coming up to seven."

.

Remus looked at the polite young girl who was returning his gaze levelly. Behind her eyes, he could almost see a frightening level of intelligence.

"So, you want to know about the Sunset Lady and the Dawn Child?" He asked quietly, mindful of the fact that they were in a library. Hermione nodded and Remus motioned for her to take a seat. Opening one of the folders on his desk, he leafed through it until he reached the page he wanted, then he handed it over.

"Recently, an artist saw them atop a rock. He didn't get a good look and the light and distance meant he couldn't see many details, but this is what he saw before the Sunset Lady detected him and the two vanished."

Hermione looked at the professional-looking picture. The rock itself had been drawn only lightly, but it was the two figures atop the rock that Hermione focused on. Both were facing out to sea, the larger one had an unusual hairstyle that rose in two cones and also had a long ponytail that went down to the middle of her back, her hair oddly patterned.

The boy also had a long ponytail, his was held by what seemed to be bands or leather ties and barely reached below his shoulder blades.

And they were both seated in mid-air.

"They're levitating." Hermione stated and Remus nodded.

"Yes, they are. I have no idea how they're doing that. I'd like to learn, though, must be really comfy sitting on air."

Hermione allowed herself to smile at Remus' little joke, her respect for the man rising as her eyes took in the sketch almost avidly, then she started to read several of the other pages, her eyes rapidly taking in the information.

"There are more things in heaven and earth…" Remus half-quoted and Hermione started to place the sketch back on the desk, then paused as her mother came up behind her.

"Wow." Emma said. "That looks like some form of Buddhist meditation, except they're floating."

Remus froze, then facepalmed. Pulling a spare piece of paper to him, he jotted down a few notes.

"Religion. I _cannot_ believe I forgot to check to see if any religions have something like that! Thank you Mrs…?"

"Granger, Emma Granger." Hermione's mother said as Remus rose and took her hand, bowing and kissing her knuckles. "My cousin told me about you and your research, may I?"

Remus nodded and sat back down as Emma took the third seat and started to leaf through the folder, her daughter leaning in to read it for herself.

"Witness statements, local legends, newspaper clippings… you've really been doing your homework on this."

"He always has done." A new voice said and both Hermione and Emma turned to see a black-haired man standing behind them, a wide grin on his face. "Moony, I always knew that you were a ladies man, but _two_ of them at the same time?"

Remus glared at him and Sirius gave a deep, flourishing bow.

"Good day, ladies. I was just coming to drag my bookish friend out for a meal, would you care to join us?"

"You realize we haven't even been introduced yet." Emma laughed and Sirius theatrically slapped his head.

"Oh, I am so sorry, I was too entranced by your beauty. Sirius Black, noted philanthropist, gentleman of fortune and woo-er of beautiful ladies, at your beck and call."

Hermione's face was frozen between laughter at his over-the-top actions and anger that he was trying to hit on _her_ mother.

"Emma Granger, married, and this is my daughter, Hermione."

"Enchanté, madam Granger." Sirius said with a smile as he made a production of bowing over Emma's hand. A split second later, a book hit him on the back of his head. Emma gasped.

"Ow! What just happened?"

Remus stared at Emma, who looked both shocked and guilty, then at Hermione, who was scowling fiercely at Sirius.

"I think I know, but… Mrs Granger, are you familiar with the theory of dowsing?"

Emma nodded at Remus' question and Remus reached into his jacket, pulling out a small stick. Holding it above Hermione's head, he waved it and whispered something under his breath, and a brief glow enveloped Hermione. Sirius whistled.

"Wow, she's strong."

"What just happened?" Emma asked and Remus turned his attention to her.

"Mrs Granger, would your husband happen to be nearby?"

"We agreed to meet in town for lunch, why?"

"And have odd things happened around Hermione before?"

Emma frowned. "Yes, I know it sounds strange, but there was a pink dress that turned blue…"

Both Remus and Sirius nodded. "How about we collect your husband and we have lunch in my garden. I think I can explain these odd happenings to you."

.

"So." Dan stated after they had sat down around the picnic table in the front garden, a table that was almost groaning with food. "You said you had an explanation for the odd things that occasionally happen near Hermione?"

Remus nodded and looked at Hermione, who was stroking the head of a large, black dog and occasionally feeding it pieces of bacon. Emma looked round.

"And where's Mr Black?"

The dog backed away from Hermione and seemed to twist and morph, rapidly turning from a dog into Sirius Black. "You called?"

All three visitors stared at him wide-eyed and Remus coughed to attract their attention.

"Both Sirius and myself are magic-users, you would call us wizards. We can use these sticks, wands, to cast spells while Sirius is one of the few wizards who has managed to master the art of turning into an animal. There is an entire society of wizards living in secret alongside the normal world, in that society, Sirius is a Lord and leader of an Noble and Most Ancient House, may Merlin help us all."

Sirius laughed and took the final seat at the table, winking at the still-shocked Hermione as he did so.

"Ever since the witch-hunts, maintaining that secrecy has been one of the highest laws of our society, but that leaves an interesting problem for us, the witches and wizards born to non-magical families. Like Hermione, for instance."

Both Dan and Emma turned their gazes to their daughter.

"Hermione is going to grow up to be a _very_ powerful witch." Sirius said. "However, our society is run mainly by the so-called pure-blood families who keep most of the power for themselves. Remus and I have realized how _stupid_ that is and are trying to change it, but it is a slow process."

"Under normal circumstances, Hermione would be invited to learn to be a witch when she turns eleven, the age when a person's magical core has stabilized enough to start learning how to perform magic." Remus said, taking over the explanation smoothly. "If she accepts, she will attend a school for magic, maybe even Hogwarts, the most famous of the schools. If she refuses…"

"Then her magic will be bound so that she cannot use it and her memory of the visiting witch or wizard would be removed by a spell." Sirius said heavily. "As would your memories of the visit. Secrecy is, after all, one of our highest laws."

Dan nodded slowly. "So, Hermione is a witch born to mundanes, would that put her at a disadvantage?"

"Normally, yes." Sirius said. "She would enter the magical world knowing little of its history and traditions, the pure-blood bigots would look down on her. I know it's not fair, and Remus and I are trying to change that, among other things. And when she finally finished school, many of the top jobs would be closed to her unless she married into a pure-blood family or got a powerful wizarding patron."

"Which is stupid of us wizards, given how much we actually do rely on muggle-borns. Sorry, _Mundane_ -born." Remus added.

"So… what does this mean for us?" Emma asked and Sirius smiled.

"Well, for a start, you know you're still sane despite the odd things that happen. It's called _accidental magic_ by the way and tends to be linked to very strong emotions." Remus explained. "Next, your daughter has _seriously_ impressed me with her intelligence."

"But I hardly said anything!" Hermione half-protested.

" _Levitating_ ring a bell? Most children your age wouldn't even _know_ that word, far less be able to use it so confidently." Remus said with a grin as Hermione blushed.

"I like reading." She half-whispered and Remus nodded.

"Anyway, your background would hold you back in the wizarding world, although your power and intelligence would make up for most of it. However, should you be sponsored by someone important, like Lord Black, the pureblood bigots that still cling to power would be unable to move against you."

"The sponsorship is effectively just that." Sirius said quickly. "It's a way of saying that her potential is recognized by a high-ranking wizard. The only possible downside is that once she graduates, any apprenticeship she may be offered has to be approved by me. Naturally, I'll support her fully."

"The fact that such an ancient and nominally pure-blood-bigot house is having a muggleborn as its first sponsored witch will have some interesting political effects as well." Remus grinned. "With your permission, perhaps Hermione can help us rebuild wizarding society to become what it should truly be..."

.

* * *

.

"It's been a fun week, and a very educational one. We'll keep in touch." Dan said, shaking Sirius's hand, then he blinked as he found himself holding the paw of a large black dog. Hermione and Emma both had to bite their fists to keep from laughing while Remus simply shook his head in resignation.

"Padfoot, behave."

"But that's no fun." Sirius half-whined, reverting to normal. "But, yes, that would be nice, although it's Remus you'll be in contact with, I'm going to be away for the next few months. I'm checking Australia."

"For your godson, Harry… Porter?" Emma asked.

"Potter." Hermione corrected. "Harry James Potter, born July 31st 1980, orphaned at Halloween 1981 and placed with _highly_ unsuitable relatives, vanished without trace just under three years later, sparking a large amount of political turmoil in the Wizarding World., events which included the resignation of Albus Dumbledore as Headmaster of Hogwarts school."

Sirius nodded at Hermione's recitation. "I think we just found the Moony of the next generation of Marauders. Remind me to give you some private animagus lessons once you start learning magic."

"Thank you for teaching Hermione those meditation exercises." Emma said with a smile. "Will it really help?"

"It'll _reduce_ the accidental magic, both in frequency and effect." Remus replied. "They'll also help Hermione with her memory skills, by starting now and with how good her memory seems to be, she could have true eidetic memory when she reaches eleven."

Hermione smiled at Remus, her hands clutching the large book to her chest. Sirius grinned at her.

"Try not to get too worked up about what you read, Moony and I both know that there's a _lot_ that's unfair about the current setup. Perhaps you and Remus could come up with ways of… _finessing_ improvements past the old fogeys of the Wizengamot, hmmmm?"

Hermione nodded firmly.

.

* * *

.

Molly looked up with a wide smile as her visitor entered through the Floo.

"Remus! Welcome, can I get you anything to eat? You look too thin."

Remus smiled as Molly mother-henned him, letting himself be guided to one of the kitchen chairs.

"I came to check in on how you were doing. I assume that Charlie and Percy got onto the Express alright? And how's Bill doing now that he's finished Hogwarts?"

Molly nodded, her face glowing with pride. "Oh, Bill got a job straight away with Gringott's, those summer courses that you and Sirius gave him apparently let him pass with flying colours."

"That's good to hear." Remus murmured, accepting the cup of tea that Molly handed him, taking a sip and sighing with pleasure. "And Arthur?"

"Still working in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office." Molly sighed, then she perked up. "Oh, next time you see that delightful girl, tell her thanks for recommending that set of Muggle books. Arthur's been reading them all, and he says he now understands Muggle technology and habits far better now."

"I'll pass that on to Hermione." Remus smiled as the kitchen door opened.

"Mom… Oh! Mr Lupin! Hello!"

"Hello Ginny." Remus replied, then his eyes went past her. "Ron, Fred, George… oh, not this again."

Ginny managed to suppress her giggles as her older twin brothers managed to somehow bound past her and stare with dramatic shock at Remus.

"Once again, my dear brother," "We are blessed with one of the greatest," "Tricksters and pranksters in the world!" "Yes, indeed, for before us," "Is none other than," "Moony of the Marauders!" "Moony of Moony, Padfoot and Prongs," "Three of the greatest wizards known to mankind!" "We are honored," "That you are here, and," "WE'RE NOT WORTHY!"

Remus facepalmed as Fred and George dropped to their knees and started bowing as they chorused the final line repeatedly. Molly shook her head as she opened a tin of biscuits.

"Any news about Harry?"

Remus shook his head sadly, although a part of his mind noted how the four children instantly focused all their attention on him. "No. Still no sign, it's… aggravating. I've even gone to Greece to try and get some information from the Oracle, but all she would say was ' _He is closer to you, closer to home than you think, he is not across the seas but at the border of the ground, yet find him there you will not. He will come with the star mother of evening_ '. Sirius and I checked all the grounds around Potter Manor, but there was nothing."

"Closer to home." Ginny repeated. "He's in England, then?"

"The Oracle has never been wrong." Remus shrugged. "Difficult to understand, hard to decipher, aggravatingly vague at times, but never wrong."

"Have you asked Hermione to help?" Ron asked. He had encountered her only once, but his shock at how blindingly intelligent she was still echoed in his voice. Remus shook his head.

"She's attending her Muggle school at the moment, top of her class. Perhaps next summer."

"Star Mother." Ginny mused. "I wonder what that means?"


	6. Inheritance

"Harry?"

Harry opened his eyes and slowly descended from his meditative pose, uncrossing his legs and placing his feet lightly on the ground before turning with a wide smile on his face.

"Yes, mum?"

"I've finally finished my project and sorted through _all_ the memory-fragments that _thing_ left," Ahsoka said, tracing a lightning-shape on her forehead to indicate what she was talking about, "And I came across some very interesting information about your birth-parents. Information I think you are now old enough to know."

Harry blinked, then dashed over, moving faster than any observer would have believed possible. Ahsoka smiled and sat on the large length of driftwood that served as a bench. As Harry sat beside her, she continued talking.

"Your parents names were James and Lily Potter, they were both users of magic. They fought in a long war against an evil tyrant who was born Tom Marvolo Riddle but called himself Voldemort and they were part of an organisation that held out against him. James was the Heir of the Potter family, a Noble in the wizarding world, while Lily was born from parents who had no magic, her sister was the woman in whose house you were placed."

Harry nodded slowly, his eyes intent.

"Things changed when one of Voldemort's followers, a man named Severus Snape, approached Voldemort, having overheard a prophecy. The prophecy was ' _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies_ '. Voldemort knew that it could be one of two children, a pureblood boy named Neville Longbottom, or you. As you were halfblood, like him, he decided you were the threat.  
"At the time, you and your parents were hidden by a special spell called the _Fidelius_ , a spell that needed an external secret keeper. Your parents had chosen a friend of theirs, Peter Pettigrew, a rat animagus, although everyone thought that it was your godfather, Sirius Black, who was the keeper, an attempt at diverting everyone from the truth. Unfortunately for your parents, Pettigrew was a spy for Voldemort and he betrayed you parents. Voldemort killed your father then your mother as she pleaded for your life, then he tried to kill you and failed."

"How?"

"I don't know." Ahsoka sighed. "I'm working from _his_ memories, partial memories at that, and he didn't know what happened. In fact, everything from him attacking you to us waking him up in your mind is a blank. But he's still out there. He has several… spirit anchors that keep his soul from becoming one with the Force. If we can destroy them, we can make him pass beyond."

"How?"

Ahsoka gave a sad smile at the sheer determination in Harry's question.

"With his memories, I think I know what his anchors are and I have clues as to where. His anchors are a diary intended to seize control of whoever writes in it, a locket belonging to one of the founders of the magical school Hogwarts, a goblet belonging to a second founder, a crown belonging to a third, a ring from his mother's family and he intended to use your death to create another, although I think that whatever happened to him placed a shard of his soul in you instead of where he intended."

"Where are the anchors?" Harry asked and Ahsoka sighed.

"The memories of their locations were quite… fragmentary. The crown is somewhere in Hogwarts, the ring in a hut somewhere, the diary given to one of his followers, the goblet to another. The locket is in a bowl of some odd magical liquid hidden in a booby-trapped cave… beyond that, I don't know."

Harry sagged in disappointment and Ahsoka wrapper her arm reassuringly around his shoulders.

"Harry, in three years, you will be old enough to go to Hogwarts yourself. The Potters were a very rich family, all you need to do is reclaim your heritage before you turn eleven."

Harry nodded slowly, then looked up at his mother.

"How?" He asked for the third time, but this time his voice was filled with hope.

"There is a bank which is linked to, yet independent from the Wizarding World, a bank named Gringotts." Ahsoka explained. "It is run not by humans, but by a race called Goblins. They are a generally honorable race who used to be warriors but now fight with finance and law. You are the heir to the Potter fortune, the last of the Potters. We can visit Gringotts and see if you can claim your heritage now, or if you need to wait until you are older."

Harry nodded slowly, then his face crinkled in a frown.

"Will we have to leave home?"

Ahsoka looked at her son, then tightened her embrace. "Harry, there is much I cannot teach you here and because of our… _unique_ situation, I cannot send you to school. If we claim your heritage, we may be able to get special teachers for you, teachers who will help you to learn everything you need to learn ready for when you become a full adult. Plus, there may be a library in the mansion containing books on magic for us to learn from."

Harry perked up at the last comment and Ahsoka hid a grin. Harry had soaked up her teachings like water into the sands of Tatooine and she was fast running out of things to teach him. Even creating his own lightsaber from her supplies and salvaged local materials had not taken him as long as she thought it would and he was absorbing lightsaber lessons faster than anyone she had ever encountered before. Perhaps a library would do the trick.

.

* * *

.

The sudden _crack_ of apparition was so common that no-one paid it, or the two figures walking out of the Apparition alcove any attention despite how early it was. Both figures wore loose clothing including hooded robes, but while that style may have drawn attention anywhere else, in Diagon Alley, no-one paid them any attention at all.

Not that there were that many around to actually pay any attention.

Even as the sunlight caressed the tops of the buildings, sending reflected light into the alley, the two figures, one tall, the other short, strode up the alley towards the golden doors of Gringotts Bank. Stepping into the small entry hall, they hated at the second set of door, these ones silver, which barred their way. The duo halted and looked at the inscription carved into the doors, an inscription which the smaller figure read aloud.

" _Enter, stranger, but take heed - Of what awaits the sin of greed  
For those who take, but do not earn, - Must pay most dearly in their turn.  
So if you seek beneath our floors - A treasure that was never yours,  
Thief, you have been warned, beware - Of finding more than treasure there._"

The taller figure cocked its head slightly, the movement almost hidden by the hood of the cloak it wore. A feminine voice with an accent that would have been unrecognizable by any who had decided to listen spoke.

"So, this is Gringott's bank. I wonder when they open?"

As if in answer to her question, the doors silently swung open and a pair of short figures in glittering armor marched past them, long-handled axes held smartly across their bodies. Ahsoka watched them pass, then exhaled sharply.

"For a moment, I thought they were Lanniks."

"Lanniks?" Harry repeated as they walked into the great hall of Gringotts and Ahsoka nodded.

"Lanniks are small humanoids known for their warrior prowess. They're quick-minded clear thinkers, but their temper is rather abrupt, especially with those who they see as wasting their time. They placed great value on personal honor, bravery and defiance of overwhelming odds."

"Sounds like our type of people." Said the Goblin seated behind the desk that they had walked up to. "Where do they live? We might send an ambassador to meet them."

"In a distant land beyond the stars." Ahsoka said, lifting her hood enough that the Goblin could see her face. "My son is here to inquire about his heritage, may we proceed in a private room?"

The Goblin looked at her curiously, then pushed a sheet of parchment and a quill across.

"Write his name, I will take it out to the managers."

Ahsoka took the quill and quickly wrote Harry's name, blowing lightly on the sheet to dry the ink, then folding it in half and giving it to the goblin with a respectful half-bow. The goblin nodded back, then clambered off his high chair and strode towards a distant door.

"Mum…"

Ahsoka took Harry's hand in hers reassuringly as she felt his nervousness. "I don't sense anything bad, and we both have our lightsabers so if the worst comes to the worst, we can fight our way out."

Harry nodded, then his gaze snapped to the far doors which had just disgorged a rather shocked-looking goblin who was holding the now-unfolded parchment and staring at it, then at them.

"I think that he's the one we are going to be talking to." Ahsoka added.

.

Ahsoka and Harry sat down in the chairs indicated as the goblin took his place opposite them.

"So." He said, "You are here to claim the Potter vaults for your son, Harry Potter?"

Ahsoka nodded and the goblin stared at her.

"But Lily Potter is dead."

Ahsoka lowered her hood, Harry following suit, and the goblin stared at her in shock.

"My name is Ahsoka Tano. I am a Togruta from a distant land beyond the stars, brought here through means unknown to me. I rescued Harry from those who would abuse him and took him as my son."

The goblin remained motionless, his gaze still fixed on her.

"Before we continue, may we know your name?"

"Bladestone." The goblin finally managed, then he closed his eyes and shook his head. "My apologies, Lady Tano, you caught me by surprise."

"Perfectly understandable." Ahsoka smiled and the goblin nodded firmly reaching under his desk and pulling out a small flask and a goblet. Placing the goblet on the desk, he opened the flask and poured some of its contents into the cup. The liquid, a glowing, pearlescent white, seemed to drift down, settling in slow, sinuous waves.

"Young sir, if you can place three drops of your blood in the goblet, we can verify your identity."

Harry nodded and accepted the small knife that Bladestone offered him hilt first. Carefully making a small incision near the base of his thumb, he let three drops fall into the goblet, then he cupped his hand and closed his eyes in concentration. A familiar pair of hands closed around his and together they sealed the cut, not even leaving a scar. Opening their eyes, they saw Bladestone staring at them, a small fabric pad in his hand.

"I… was going to offer this healing pad." Bladestone explained slowly, his eyes wider than ever as they focused on the unscarred skin. "But I see you didn't need it… well, time to get on with the test."

Pulling out a sheet of parchment and a silver rod, he stirred the contents of the goblet until the white glow suddenly turned a flickering red, then he poured out the contents into the center of the parchment. The liquid seeped into the parchment and then a picture of Harry's head appeared, with some illegible script underneath. Bladestone looked at it and nodded.

"Welcome to Gringotts, Heir Potter. According to the terms of the will, now that you are eight years of age, you can claim the Heir ring and have access to both the trust vault and the family vault, although you can take money from the trust vault only."

Harry nodded as Bladehook pulled a file out of a drawer and opened it. Selecting a sheet from it, he passed it across.

"Here we have a listing of the properties owned by the Potter line. In addition to the Manor, you have several holiday homes available to you, one in France, another in America… Florida, one in Italy. You did have one in Cornwall, but by the terms of the will, it was gifted to your parent's friend, Remus Lupin."

Ahsoka looked at the map and giggled. "Wow, that cottage is really close to our cave."

Bladestone raised an eyebrow. "Both your godfather, Sirius Black, and his friend Remus Lupin have been overseeing a search for you for the last four years, Heir Potter. They will be overjoyed to find that you have been safe in Lady Tano's care."

"Why was Harry placed in slavery if he had a godfather to look after him?" Ahsoka asked and Bladestone pushed forwards another sheet.

"As you can see, after the deaths of Lily and James Potter, Sirius Black was imprisoned in Azkaban on suspicion of betraying them. Only after Heir Potter vanished did the truth come out, that the real traitor was Peter Pettigrew. Pettigrew is now locked in Azkaban, in Lord Black's former cell.  
"The sealing of the wills was done by Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore who sought to hide Heir Potter away from the remaining followers of Lord Voldemort…"

"Tom Marvolo Riddle." Ahsoka interrupted. "I came across some information about him, he was born Tom Marvolo Riddle, son of a non-magical father and a pure-blood witch from a rather… inbred line."

"Do… you know the mother's name?" Bladestone asked slowly and Ahsoka nodded.

"Merope Gaunt."

"I… see." Bladestone said slowly. "Well, Gringotts will certainly be looking into that. Anyway. Dumbledore sought to conceal Heir Potter from the wizarding world, so placed him with his mother's sister, using their familial relationship to place special wards to protect him. However, the home he chose was not a good choice. After you rescued him, Dumbledore admitted that he had erred and resigned as the Headmaster of Hogwarts, saying that he no longer trusted his judgement since if he had let down one child so grievously, how could he trust himself with an entire school?"

"At least he showed _some_ wisdom." Ahsoka muttered and Bladestone nodded.

"Heir Potter, here is the Heir's Ring. Once you put it on, you will officially become the Heir of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter."

Harry nodded and accepted the box that Bladestone was extending. Opening it, he picked up the ring and looked at it.

"The Heir's Ring is worn on the right hand, middle finger, Heir Potter. Upon reaching the age of inheritance, being the last Potter, you will be expected to exchange the Heir's Ring for the House Ring, also granting you legal emancipation."

"The age of inheritance?" Harry asked curiously as he held the ring in his left hand.

"Eleven for human males, I believe." Bladestone said. "If you will please don your ring?"

Harry nodded and slid the overlarge ring onto his finger. As he let go, the ring seemed to shimmer and contract, resizing itself to fit perfectly.

"Should you wish, the ring will turn invisible, hiding your status as Heir of the House of Potter. Now, for the next item of business."

The door behind them opened and both Ahsoka and Harry turned to see a man with his clothes showing evidence of hasty dressing and his black hair tangled staring at Ahsoka in shock.

"As soon as we confirmed your son's identity, we sent a message. Heir Potter, Lady Tano, this gentleman is Lord Sirius Black."

Silence filled the room for a long moment, then Bladestone spoke in a softer voice. "Harry, meet your godfather."

"Hey… Harry." Sirius finally managed, a smile warring with his shock. "You're looking good."

Harry stared at him in confusion. He seemed familiar, but…

Sirius suddenly chuckled and gave a sad smile. "You don't remember me at all, do you Prongslet? How about if I do… this!"

Harry's eyes widened as Sirius suddenly turned into a large black dog and his breath caught in his throat. "Unca pa'foo!"

Before Sirius could turn back, Harry had caught him in a strong hug, burying his face in his fur.

"Unca pa'foo!"

Sisius remained still until Harry slowly released him, then turned back into a human, his eyes filled with tears.

"It's so good to see you, Prongslet."

"Prongslet?"

Sirius nodded, his gaze still fixed on Harry. "Like me, James was an Animagus. His name was Prongs, he could turn into the most majestic stag you ever saw. Prongs, Padfoot and Moony, the Marauders."

"Moony?" Harry repeated. "Unca Moo'ie?"

"That's what you called him." Sirius grinned, ignoring the tears of joy flowing down his cheeks. "He's currently overseeing the Packs… I'll explain later, it's a long story, but he'll be overjoyed to meet you again. Now, Harry, who's this beautiful being you are with?"

Ahsoka hid a smile at Sirius' flirtatious tone as he looked at her, but Harry missed the subtext.

"Uncle pa'foo, this is my mother, Ahsoka Tano. She rescued me from the Ursies."

Sirius rose from his half-crouch and gave Ahsoka an elaborate bow. "Lady Tano, for saving my Godson, I owe you a debt I cannot repay. Name any service, and the House of Black shall fulfill your request. One question, though. _What_ are you? During my travels as I searched for Prongslet, I've met Veela, Sirens, Mermaids, Selkies, Goblins, Vampires, Centaurs, House-elves, but I've not come across your species in my travels."

"I am a Togruta." Ahsoka smiled. "As for how I came to be with Harry, that is a long story."

"And one that can wait for now." Sirius decided. "But I have to know, where have you both _been_ for the last four years?"

"Cornwall."

"What?" Sirius said in shock. "But… Moony lives there! He was searching too, how could he have missed you?"

.

* * *

.

"Great Merlin! You're the Sunset Lady!"

Sirius blinked at Remus' shocked announcement as Ahsoka exited the Floo, Harry clasped firmly in her arms. The next sentence deepened his shock further.

"And you're the Dawn Boy! I've been researching you two for years!"

Sirius decided to step in. "Moony, this is Lady Ahsoka Tano and her son whom we have both been searching for…"

"Harry?" Remus gasped, his eyes almost bulging. "Where have you been?"

.

Sirius stepped into the cave. The entrance to the cove had been hidden by a fold in the rocks and bushes which he suspected had been carefully shaped to enhance concealment without impeding access. The cave itself, shielded from the vision of passing boats, was reachable by stairs carved into the rock. Had it not been for Ahsoka's lack of wand, he would have suspected magic.

The cave itself was amazing. Light was admitted through transparent sheets of a material that he didn't recognize. A table and kitchen were on one side while a curtained alcove held a stone toilet. What caught his attention, though, was the slightly-steaming large bath almost large enough to qualify as a small swimming pool. Ahsoka followed his gaze.

"You don't have a separate bathing room?"

"We didn't really need one." Ahsoka shrugged as Harry towed Remus in. "Besides, it keeps the cave warm during winter. It'll be a shame to leave the cave."

"Maybe you won't have to." Remus mused. "Sirius, remember the project Lily completed just before she and James went into hiding?"

"Which one?" Sirius asked, moving to look at the kitchen area. "The runic arrays to protect electronics from whatever causes them to fail at Hogwarts? The mage-scanning arrays for hospitals? The runic transport-doors? The…"

"That's the one!" Remus interrupted. "The transport-doors. Short hallways that act like Vanishing Cabinets. We set one of them up in the Mansion, put the second one here and the Cave becomes a really neat refuge."

"The mansion and the inner grounds are still in lockdown." Sirius sighed. "How do you intend… to… get… oh. Right. Prongslet. Sorry, wasn't thinking."

"You never do." Remus bantered.

Sirius smirked as he glanced at the two beds at the back of the cave, then round at where storage holes had been carved into the wall. "You know, you're quite the interior decorator. I _love_ what you've done with the place. It's _amazing_ what you've done with such a modest budget. I like that boulder, that is a _niiice_ boulder… ow! Moony!"

Remus pulled his elbow back in and nodded slowly. "We can probably fit the door in this part of the wall here, if you're willing to carve it out a bit. Each Door is actually about four foot deep to allow the runic arrays to be inscribed correctly."

Ahsoka nodded as Remus used a piece of chalk to mark out an area. "Is this accurate?"

"Pretty close, but depending on how long it takes to carve out the rock, it might be best to wait so that we can get a better fit."

"Well then, let's go and see those doors." Ahsoka said with a smile. "And we may as well see this manor while we're at it."

Chuckling, Sirius pulled out a short length of rope. "This is a Portkey, it'll take us to the my home and the Manor is literally _just_ up the drive."

.

"I don't think I like Portkeys." Harry groused as Remus helped him up while Sirius offered his hand to Ahsoka.

"The landings do take some getting used to." Remus admitted as Ahsoka released Sirius' hand with a grateful smile. "Anyway, Potter Manor is this way."

Sirius transformed and bounded off, barking exitedly and Remus facepalmed. "Dammit, Padfoot, must you keep doing this to me?"

Ahsoka gave him a curious look and Remus explained. "Ever since it was publicly acknowledged that Sirius was an Animagus, he's been transforming all the time as well as giving cut-price lessons in how _to_ become Animagi using the Marauder Method between his trips searching for Harry. Fortunately, I managed to persuade him to limit his students to those who had already attained their OWLs, although he's given any Weasley who has completed a year of school free lessons as part of their reward for helping to capture Pettigrew."

"Interesting." Ahsoka mused. "I wonder if it works for Togruta."

"Well, Harry'll get lessons for free." Remus said as they crested the rise and spotted Padfoot sprawled just outside a low gate set in a fence. "After all, he's the son of our best friend. How could we _not_ teach him what we know?"

Ahsoka nodded, then grinned as Harry, who had run ahead without her noticing, tackled Padfoot, hugging him as Padfoot licked his face. Remus followed her gaze and laughed, then turned back to her.

"I have to ask… do you have magic as well?"

"I do, but I only know a few tricks, and I do not have a wand. I would like to learn more, though." Ahsoka confirmed and Remus frowned slightly.

"If word of this gets out… tomorrow we're getting you a wand, then Padfoot and I are giving you some _intensive_ training in magic. By the time Harry goes to school, we should have you at least at NEWT level."

"Newt? And what _are_ owls? You don't mean the birds, do you?"

"Magical exams." Remus said as they came to a halt by the gate. "Ordinary Wizarding Levels, or OWLs, and Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests, or NEWTS. Changing the subject, welcome to the Inner Ward Line of Potter Manor. Harry, you see the small pillar to the left of the gateway? Can you please place your right hand on it?"

Harry looked at the flat, rune-inscribed top of the chest-high (to him) pillar, then firmly pressed his hand against it. A glow of light surrounded him, then the fence seemed to shimmer as something faded.

"Alright!" Sirius exulted, having returned to human again. "Let's go! Potter Manor! It'll be wonderful, seeing my old room again!"

Ahsoka and Harry both looked at Sirius in confusion.

"What? James was my brother in all but blood. After my family cast me out, he had me live here. Howabout once we have you settled in, I show you where the broomsticks are stored!"

"Broomsticks?" Harry asked. Remus shook his head.

" _Dammit_ , Padfoot."


	7. Potter Manor

"Welcome to Potter Manor, home to the Potters for generations!" Sirius said grandly as he flung open the front door to let them enter. "Here, we have the entry hall which can also double as a ballroom or, as James and I used to use it, an indoor broomstick racing track!"

"Padfoot!"

"Merlin's Beard, Remus, stop being so grouchy." Sirius mock-whined. "Anyway, the grand staircase is perfect for banister-races if you're bored, but I recommend putting a pile of cushions at the bottom, my hip still hurts thinking about it. Hmmmph!"

Remus glared at Sirius before removing his hand from over Sirius' mouth.

"I think _I_ should take over, that way we may actually finish by the end of the day."

"Sure thing."

Remus sighed, then turned to Ahsoka and Harry, who were both trying to hide their grins.

"As you saw coming in, the Manor is quite large, with the main portion and four wings, two of them paralleling each other at the back. One of them is the library and research wing, containing a potion lab amongst other things, while the second wing is the staff wing, currently not used. The other two wings are for family and friends with the head of house residing in the tower at the back of the main portion. Come on, we'll start off with the library wing and work our way round."

.

Harry stared at the room. The empty crib in the corner, the brightly-colored walls with moving animals, a stag, a doe, a black dog, a wolf and a rat, the toys visible in an open chest in the corner…

"This was your room before your parents went into hiding." Sirius said quietly. "We helped to decorate it, casting the charms on the walls, putting the furniture together…"

"Why didn't they stay here?" Harry whispered. "The wards…"

"The wards wouldn't have held against Voldemort and his followers." Remus said sadly. "Oh, they're strong, the Potters were traditionally good with runes, but without enough people to fight back, wards do nothing more than delay attackers and it's easy for attackers to block the use of Apparition and Portkeys. There were even Death Eaters in the Floo department at the Ministry, allowing them to block all avenues of escape. Yes, some wards can be used to counter-attack, but wards are defensive and any attack, sustained long enough, can get though."

Ahsoka nodded as she bent down to wrap her arms around her crying son. "He's right. It's impossible to win purely with defense. Even Soresu has _some_ offensive moves."

Harry nodded as he wiped his eyes. "Yeah, but we use Ataru and Shien."

Remus and Sirius exchanged confused looks as Ahsoka nodded.

"My Master insisted I learned all the basic forms." Ahsoka said to the two wizards. "I know the basics of all of them. Shii-cho, Makashi, Soresu, Ataru, Shien, Djem So, Niman, even some Juyo, although not Vaapad. Under Master Skywalker, I practiced against masters of all those styles. Master Kenobi was an expert in Shii-cho and Soresu while Master Skywalker used Ataru, Shien and Djem-so. Ironically, I learned a _lot_ about Makashi from Count Dooku, although he was trying to kill me at the time."

Ahsoka saw the blank looks on the two men and sighed. "I'll show you the basics tomorrow."

.

"…and here we are, back in the main hall." Remus said almost three hours later. "So, now you've seen round Potter Manor. I'm actually surprised that it's held up so well, although we'll need a House Elf or two."

"Actually, at least six would be needed." Sirius said, a distant look on his face. "I wonder what happened to the elves that used to live here?"

"I'll find out." Remus said, pulling a notebook from his pocket and writing a quick note on it. "I _really_ have to thank Hermione for introducing me to notebooks and retractable ball-point pens. Far easier than scrolls and quills."

"That is the fourth time you have mentioned her." Harry said curiously and Remus laughed.

"Oh, don't worry. As soon as she hears that the Sunset Lady and the Dawn Boy have been found, she'll be here asking questions before you've even realized she's coming. She's incredibly intelligent, she's already devoured half the books in the Black Library and probably knows more about the Wizarding World than any wizard or witch alive by this point."

Sirius nodded. "She probably does. On the plus side, I _think_ I've reduced her instinctive belief in the rightness of authority figures. Being wrongly imprisoned without a trial has actually proven to have done some good, for once. So, since we still have a few hours left, shall we pull the transport-doors out? We can set one up here, then install the other one at your cave."

Ahsoka nodded, then frowned slightly. "How many of these doors are there?"

"They have to be matched, Lily only made three sets, but she left the instructions. Why?"

"Because I have an idea. Would it be possible to buy a large, empty storage building?"

"Probably." Remus shrugged. "I have contacts in the Muggle world. Why?"

"And could you have walkways fitted inside it? And possibly small rooms inside which a couple of doors can be placed?"

Remus' eyes widened and he started to grin. "I think I see where you are going with this! Brilliant!"

"Not a clue." Sirius shrugged.

.

Harry watched as Ahsoka and Sirius vanished, then turned to face Remus.

"Will they be alright?"

"They will be." Remus said with a smile. "Now, come on. Let's head up to the attic and find you some more clothes."

Harry nodded and followed the tall man back into the Manor. As they walked through the house, Harry decided to ask a question that had been in his head for much of the day.

"Mr Lupin, do you think that mum will be accepted by the others?"

Remus sighed. "Probably not. I'm not fully accepted because, technically speaking, I'm a Dark Creature, although Padfoot is trying to change that."

"Dark creature?" Harry repeated. "Why?"

"Because I'm a werewolf, I was bitten by one as a child." Remus said quietly. "Every full moon, I turn into a wolf, an _angry_ wolf that's a threat to any human around. It's why Padfoot and Prongs became Animagi, they're safe from me in their animal forms and they could protect others from me if needed."

Harry nodded slowly as he thought it through. "So, just because someone is different, they're treated bad? That's not right!"

"Indeed it isn't." Remus replied with a slight chuckle, then he sobered. "Your mother is an amazing woman and I intend to help her become a fully-fledged witch as soon as I can. There aren't any laws limiting what she can do, but there aren't any laws that'll protect her, either, so she needs to learn how to use magic so that she can defend herself."

"The goblins agreed she was my mother." Harry grumbled and Remus smiled.

"In many ways, the goblins are wiser than us humans."

.

Sirius stared wide-eyed as Ahsoka plunged the blade of her lightsaber into the wall, dragging it along the lines that they had marked. Several angled cuts, then some slow trimming later, a rectangular hole had been carved into the rock, just the right size for the door.

"Shall I…"

Sirius' voice faded as Ahsoka moved her hand and the door lifted slightly from the floor and drifted across to the hole, turning to align itself. Slowly, it moved into position, finally halting flush with the cave wall, then Ahsoka opened it, revealing Harry and Remus standing at the other end of the short hallway.

"It works!" Harry half-shouted as he sprinted through and tackle-hugged his mother.

"As expected, given how intelligent your birth-mother was." Remus said with a smile as he followed Harry through. "So, let me guess. Tonight, you'll remain here, then tomorrow we can start the long process of getting Potter Manor completely sorted."

Ahsoka nodded, then looked at Harry curiously. "New clothes?"

"New clothes. Loads in the attics."

"That reminds me." Sirius said slowly. "Any idea yet what happened to the Potter elves?"

Remus shrugged. "I'll find out. Or Harry can simply summon them tomorrow."

"That works." Sirius agreed. "Well, see you tomorrow. Is it alright if I use my old room? It brings back memories…"

.

* * *

.

"What the…?"

Sirius halted in his tracks as the clashing of lightsabers echoed across the lawn. Remus half-turned to him.

"They're doing lightsaber combat drills. You missed the basic Katas and this is freestyle. I thought they were trying to kill each other and reacted, only to find out that those blades can reflect spells!"

Sirius stared at him as if he had gone mad and Remus shrugged. "Go on, send a couple of stunners at them."

Sirius slowly pulled out his wand, then it blurred." _Stupefy_! _Stupefy_!"

Two bolts of red light arrowed towards the fighting duo, only for them to swat the bolts back towards the caster without even pausing in their battle. Sirius swore as he dived out of the way, both bolts flashing back through where he had been standing.

"What the… Moony!"

"Not _my_ fault." Remus shrugged, hiding his smirk. "So, what do you think."

Sirius rose shakily to his feet and his jaw dropped as Harry somersaulted over Ahsoka's head, his lightsaber spiraling in a complex attack that Ahsoka blocked.

"Ahsoka said that Harry is naturally gifted with the Lightsaber, even moreso than her former master."

"Master?" Sirius asked worriedly.

"From what I can tell, the Jedi, that's the group that she belonged to, had several ranks. Learners, Padawans, Knights, Masters, Council Members and one Grand Master. Ahsoka was officially a Padawan when she left the Order, but her skills were on a par with many of the Knights. Although Padawans were normally trained by Masters, to become a Master, a Knight usually had to first train a Padawan to full Knighthood."

Sirius nodded slowly as Ahsoka sent Harry hurtling backwards. "How…?"

"They call it The Force." Remus explained. "You saw her using it yesterday with the Door, remember?"

"I thought it was a silent _Wingardium Leviosa_." Sirius admitted, sheepishly.

"No, it's not magic, not as we know it. The Force is… hard to describe. Energy that surrounds everything. Magic doesn't seem to affect it that much and it doesn't really affect Magic as far as I know, although I think that the two may be usable together. Anyway, they use it to make themselves faster and stronger, to enhance their reflexes by a form of precognition, to boost their senses, to move things… that sort of thing."

"But… what if they hurt each other?"

"They've set their lightsabers to training rather than combat. Stings and leaves a bruise, but doesn't cut." Remus said, rolling his left sleeve up to reveal a purpling mark. "I've asked Ahsoka to help discover which direct-attack spells the lightsaber can deflect. Area-effect spells are, however, a different matter."

On the lawn, the two figures were motionless with Ahsoka's lightsaber pointed at the disarmed-and-knocked-down Harry's throat. A long moment passed, then Ahsoka's blade vanished and Harry stretched out his hand, his inactive lightsaber flying to it. Sirius whistled.

"Merlin's saggy bollocks! Even _without_ magic, those two are scary!"

"Thanks!" Harry shouted as the duo approached and Sirius facepalmed.

"He heard me, didn't he."

"Enhanced senses." Remus chuckled. "As good as mine."

.

* * *

.

"Remus! Sirius!" Molly beamed. "Come on in, the kettle's on, do you want some cake?"

"Thank you." Sirius said, catching Molly's hand and making a production of bowing over it. Molly blushed and swatted him with her free hand.

"Oh, stop that. If Arthur catches you…"

"Then I'll have to make sure he won't." Sirius grinned, his eyebrows wiggling comically.

"Be serious."

"I'm always Sirius, it's my name!"

Molly shook her head as she reclaimed her hand and led the duo into the kitchen.

"So," She said once she had her two guests sat down at the table with mugs of tea and slices of cake in front of them, "What's happened? Was the letter from Gringotts correct? Did you find him?"

"We did." Sirius said with extreme satisfaction and then they winced, clasping their hands over their ears as Molly squealed with joy.

"You found him? You found him! That's wonderful!"

"Ironically, Moony had been investigating him for a while." Sirius added, earning a confused look from Molly and a quelling glare from Remus. "He'd been rescued by the one known as the Sunset Lady."

Molly frowned. "I thought she'd been around for decades…"

"My mistake." Remus shrugged. "I wrongly linked a few other tales to her. No, she was the one who rescued Harry, now they both live at Potter Manor."

"I'd love to meet her." Molly said, taking a sip of her tea and then she frowned at the glance that her two guests exchanged. "What?"

"Molly, what we are about to tell you is secret. You can't tell _anyone_ until we give you permission. In fact, we need a Vow on it."

Molly's eyebrows lifted, but she pulled her wand out of her apron pocket and raised it. "I Molly Weasley, do hereby swear upon my magic that I shall hold the information divulged today in confidence until given permission by either Remus Lupin or Sirius Black to release it. So I swear, so mote it be."

A brief flash of light surrounded her and both Remus and Sirius sagged slightly in relief.

"Alright." Remus said. "First off, a warning. Harry's new mother, Ahsoka Tano, also sometimes called the Sunset Lady, is an untrained witch, but she isn't actually human…"

Molly's eyes widened in shock as Remus continued his explanation. ****

.

* * *

.

"Welcome to Potter Manor, home to the Potters for generations!" Sirius said grandly as he flung open the front door to let them enter. The group following him looked round, craning their necks for a better view, then Hermione gasped as two cloaked figures, one taller than the other, appeared at the top of the stairs. For a long moment, no-one moved, then the smaller figure leapt into the air, somersaulting and landing on the banister, balancing perfectly as he slid down. The speed of his passage blew his hood off his head and caused the three ponytails his long hair was tied in to blow backwards, then he pushed off as he reached the end, somersaulting again and landing in a perfect three-point crouch before straightening up with a grin.

"Show-off." Sirius laughed with a wide grin as he ignored Remus' mutter about him being a bad influence. "Alright, everyone line up! Lady Tano, if you'll join us?"

The remaining figure nodded and seemed to float down the stairs. Hermione squinted to see under the hood, but the figure was wearing a thin veil over her lower face, and Hermione was unable see anything other than the rippling fabric.

Somehow, though, she sensed that the person was somewhat amused by her efforts to peek.

Sirius finally stopped chivying people into a line and began making introductions.

"These red-heads are the Weasley family. This is Molly and some of her children, Fred and George, I still can't tell them apart, Ron and Ginny. Arthur's at work and the other boys are at Hogwarts, except Bill, who's just started at… Gringotts?"

Molly nodded in confirmation.

"Next, we have Emma Granger and her daughter Hermione. Dan's at the dental practice, I'll drag him round later. Here we have Remus Lupin, stick-in-the-mud, all round straight guy… ooof!"

Remus removed his elbow from Sirius' stomach. "He already knows me, Padfoot."

"Yeah, but I couldn't resist." Sirius laughed. "Finally, three you haven't met before, but whom I thought might be helpful. My cousin, Andromeda Tonks, potion mistress, healer and in half a year a Hogwarts professor if all goes well, something about finishing her contract first. This gentleman is her husband Ted Tonks, a lawyer but not the slimy kind,"

Sirius paused as several people laughed, Ted being one of them.

"And their daughter, She-whose-first-name-must-not-be-said Tonks. _Just_ Tonks, unless you want her to hex you."

Tonks gave Sirius a long glare and Hermione was not the only person whose eyes widened as Tonks' hair changed from dark pink to purple, then red.

"She has mood hair." Sirius added, then ducked as a hand lashed out. "Okay! Okay! Tonks is a Metamorphmagus. I'll explain later. Now, everyone, as many of you have undoubtedly guessed, this handsome lad is none other than my most amazing and incredibly handsome godson, Harry Potter. Or, to give him his full name, Harry James Potter-Tano. And this is his mother, and the reason I had you swearing those binding oaths before we came, Ahsoka Tano. Ahsoka, if you don't mind…?"

Ahsoka nodded and reached up, dropping the veil so it sat like a scarf and then lowering her hood. Harry looked up at her with a smile and she returned his smile with one of her own.

"You're the _Sunset Lady_!" Hermione exclaimed, her eyes so wide that several of the others were surprised that they hadn't fallen out. "And that means… you're the _Dawn Boy_!"

"So we heard." Ahsoka laughed. "My species are known as the Togruta."

"She's also a witch." Sirius said and Ahsoka pulled out her wand.

" _Lumos._ "

The tip of the wand glowed brightly until Ahsoka ended the spell.

"As you can see, Ahsoka is what we would call a near-human. Her horns and montrals enhance her ability to sense others, plus they look really cool. If you see her holding a glowing sword, _don't_ fire any spells at her. Trust me on that. Now, Harry, why not take the youngsters and Tonks and show them the gardens. We adults need to talk about a few things… what _now_ , Moony?"

Remus fought down his laughter. "Sorry, but _you_? An _adult_?"

"Should have seen that coming." Sirius muttered as laughter rose around him.

.

"…and do you wear your hair like that because of Lady Tano?" Hermione finished her quick-fire questions. Harry laughed, especially since a few of the others were looking somewhat dazed.

"Alright, let's see. Coruscant, we don't know _how_ mum got here, she's trained me in a few magical exercises but mainly in the Jedi way, Cornwall, four years, she taught me because I couldn't risk going to school and yes. I think that got them all."

"Bloody hell, mate." Ron breathed, impressed.

"Jedi way?" Ginny asked and Harry grinned mischievously as he extended one hand. A moment later, Ginny found herself floating in the air.

"H… h… how…?"

"The Force." Harry said as he slowly turned, causing Ginny to orbit round them. "It surrounds us, permeates us, guides our actions and obeys our commands. If you can connect with it, you can use it to do amazing things."

Ginny touched down and she leapt forwards, tackling Harry as she hugged him. "That! Was! Incredible!"

"Telekinesis." Hermione breathed, causing the other Weasleys to look at her oddly. "What?"

"What's telekawhatsit?" Ron asked and Hermione exhaled sharply.

"Telekinesis. The ability to move something without touching it. Think a _Wingardium Leviosa_ , but without using actual magic."

"Coool!" The twins whispered in unison, then an instant later, they were kneeling in front of a bemused Harry.

"Oh great and wonderous one," "Please teach us lowly mortals," "How to perform those incredible feats," "Such as moving people without needing magic," "And all those other cool things you can do."

Ginny marched up to stand between the twins and slapped them both lightly across the backs of their heads.

"Ow! What," "Was that for?"

"Being prats." Ginny snapped as the twins rose from their knees, then she turned to smile at Harry, who was using all his training to not laugh at them.

.

"…and then Remus and Sirius convinced us to move to Potter Manor and said they would help us with the magical world and its… occasionally stupid beliefs." Ahsoka finished.

"Stupid?" Molly queried, her voice showing that she was becoming rather annoyed.

"My species is as old as yours and has a culture just as rich, but the witches and wizards of your culture would look down on me simply because I was not human and have no desire to be." Ahsoka shrugged. "That I am faster, stronger and have more stamina than any wizard is beside the point. That my horns and montrals let me sense all around me with ease is of supreme unimportance to them. I find that belief to be stupid."

"She has a point." Remus shrugged and Molly paused. "Besides, she's the one who rescued Harry when the rest of the Wizarding World was content to make up stories about him and think it was all business as usual. No-one checked. Everyone just assumed that he was safe."

Sirius nodded as Emma looked at her fellow guest. "He's right, Molly."

"I think it's the magic." Sirius shrugged. "Magic can do loads and solve most things, so why bother thinking when you can just do magic?"

"Most powerful wizards don't have an ounce of logic." Remus added. "That's how we managed to sneak so much past the teachers when we were at school."

"But… but…" Molly tried to protest, only for Emma to shake her head.

"Molly, I may be ' _just a muggle_ ', but in this, I think that the mundane outlook is better. We have laws banning discrimination on things like gender or race. I've never told you this, but Dan and I generally see your world as old-fashioned, quaint and primitive."

Molly gaped in shock as Remus nodded. "As a wizard who has had quite a bit to do with the muggle world, I have to agree with Emma."

"But… what about the things we have? The Knight Bus…"

"An idea stolen from the muggles." Sirius interjected.

"The Floo system?"

"Good for a few people at a time, but largely useless for large numbers, say a couple of hundred at once." Remus noted.

"Portkeys?"

"Same problem."

"…Wizarding wireless?"

"Radio and television, which shows the pictures as well." Emma said.

"Wizarding photos." Molly said with a tone of finality.

"Silent and limited to maybe a dozen seconds before looping, muggles have films that last an hour or more." Emma countered.

"Like the film that James and Lily took us to see that one time." Remus smirked and Sirius' gaze unfocused in memory, then he started to laugh.

"Ni!"

Remus dramatically flinched as Molly and Ahsoka looked on in confusion and Emma facepalmed.

"Ni! Ni, ni, ni, NI!"

"What's going on?" Molly asked and Emma sighed.

"Sirius is being one of the _Knights who say Ni_." Emma explained as Remus and Sirius both burst out laughing. "I guess that means that they'll be quoting from the film next. Dan's the same."

"Another reason I like him so much." Sirius laughed, then he looked round. "Lady Tano…"

"Ahsoka."

Sirius nodded at the the correction. "Ahsoka, although James and Lily had the mansion upgraded for electricity and phones, I think that you may want to get some new equipment. A new television and video player at the very least."

"I agree." Ahsoka said. "It will be interesting to see how the technology of this world compares to mine, and I would like to experiment with connecting my equipment to it. Maybe even linking magic to it. I wonder if we can run a power cable through the Rune Door…"

"Magic… and technology?" Molly breathed disbelievingly. "But the two don't work together!"

"That's… not entirely true." Remus said slowly. "You see, Lily discovered that only really powerful magic interferes with electricity, but such magic includes the wards that were placed at the schools…"

.

"Wow, this is _cool_." Ron breathed as they looked round the cave. "You really grew up here?"

"I did." Harry confirmed as he walked towards the door. "Come on, the beach is this way!"

The others followed him through the door-curtain and down the steps to the stony beach. Ron looked disappointed as he looked around. "When you said beach, I thought there'd be more sand."

"Whoooo!" Ginny shouted as she sprinted away from them, small stones skittering in her wake. "This place is _amazing_! Where does this lead?"

"Don't go that way." Harry quickly called. "The cave and cove are safe. Out there, not so much."

"Okay." Ginny chirped as she continued her explorations, briefly vanishing into a cave that Ahsoka had carved to hold a barbecue used in warm weather. "I _like_ this place."

"Uncle Moony is buying the land around it for us so that we can keep it." Harry grinned. "He also said something about warding it, whatever that means."

"It's a type of fixed protective magic." Hermione explained. "Usually deployed via runic arrays, Wards can have a variety of effects. In the Wizarding World, the most common are muggle-repelling and disguising wards, designed to help in keeping the Muggle world and the Wizarding world separate."

"Which book was that from?" One of the twins teased and Hermione blushed.

"Mr. Lupin taught me to not simply quote from the books, but to think about what I read and put it in new ways." She said, looking down at her feet.

"Neat." The other twin breathed, impressed, then his eyes widened and he hit his twin on the shoulder, pointing at Harry…  
…who was calmly sat cross-legged three feet above the ground!

"…bloody hell." Ron breathed, only to flinch as Ginny, who had run back from her explorations, slapped the back of his head. "What?"

"Language." Ginny scolded as Harry dropped to the ground, laughing at Ron's expression. "Was that the Force?"

"Floating meditation." Harry confirmed. "Hey, watch this!"

The children gaped as Harry sprinted off at a speed that none of them had believed was possible, then he ran straight up the cliff face, leaping off and bounding from one protruding rock to the next. Without slowing, he reversed course, adding spins and somersaults to his progress, then reversed course once again before sprinting almost straight down the cliff and pushing off, twisting through the air to land in a perfect three-point crouch.

"…bloody hell." All four Weasleys whispered in unison, causing both Tonks and Hermione to burst into giggles.

Harry strolled back to the six, grinning broadly, and Ginny sprinted up to him, grabbing his arm as she bounced up and down.

"Teach me, teachmeteachmeteachmepleeeeaaaaaasseee?"

Harry stopped and placed his hands on either side of her forehead, staring deeply into her eyes. After a moment, he sighed and shook his head.

"I'm sorry."

Ginny's eyes filled with tears. "Why?"

"To learn the ways of the Jedi, you need to be able to use the Force. If you _have_ a connection with the Force, I can't sense it. I'll ask mum to check, but I don't think you'll be able to become a Jedi. Sorry."

"What about me?" Ron asked as Ginny stepped back, fighting down tears. Harry placed his hands on Ron's head, then removed them with a sigh. "Sorry. Tonks?"

Tonks stepped forwards and let Harry place his hands on her head, then he stepped back with a frown. "I… can't tell with you. I don't _think_ you have Force potential, but I'm not certain…"

"Probably because I'm a metamorphmagus." Tonks shrugged. "It screws up standard diagnostic spells somewhat fierce. Mum had to search out the special spells for me to get treatment whenever I got sick."

The twins looked at each other and stepped forwards, only for Harry to give them negatives as well, then he turned to face Hermione.

"May I…?"

"Sure, but I'm happy with just becoming a witch." Hermione shrugged. "I'm not sure that I could cope with becoming a Jedi too. Whatever that is."

By the time she had finished, Harry had placed his hands on her head. Suddenly, Hermione felt an odd tingling sensation and Harry's eyebrows rose.

"You have potential. Mum'll have to check, but you _feel_ like you could become a Jedi too."

"…bloody hell." Ron sighed. "Ow! Ginny!"


	8. Publicity

The four Weasleys congregated at the kitchen table where the Daily Prophet was laid out for all to read.

_Boy-Who-Returned_

_It is with great joy that the Daily Prophet reports that the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter, has returned to the Wizarding world. After four years of searching by his godfather, the wrongfully-imprisoned hero Lord Sirius Black, the eight-year-old Harry Potter was found and has returned to his ancestral home.  
_ _For the four years that he lived in the Muggle World, Harry Potter became known to Muggles in the Cornwall area as the Dawn Boy, son of the as-yet unidentified witch known as the Sunset Lady. During his time away from civilisation, The-Boy-Who-Lived began lessons in a previously-unknown magical discipline known as the Jedi Way. Researchers acting for the Daily Prophet have so far failed to track down any references to this in British Wizarding history, but early reports indicate that the Jedi Way allows the user to enhance their physical capabilities, lending credence to the concept that it is a combative-type set of techniques. As such, we can undoubtedly look forwards to the Boy-Who-Lived becoming an Auror.  
_ _A statement released by Lord Black indicated that The-Boy-Wo-Lived has taken on the mantle of Heir Potter and will, when the time comes for him to attend the greatest magical school in the world, Hogwarts, attend said school as Lord Potter. Already, the muggleborn witch-to-be Hermione Granger, who has been officially sponsored by the Ancient and Noble House of Black, has become one of his closest friends and study-partners. The pureblood Weasley family has also been linked to the returned Heir with the youngest son and daughter being regular visitors to Potter Manor.  
_ _When informed of Heir Potter's return, Albus Dumbledore (Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, Order of Merlin) said – "I am overjoyed that the boy who survived the horrible events of that Halloween has re-emerged. I had feared that I would never get a chance to apologise to him for the unfortunate situation that I mistakenly placed him in when he was but a baby. In addition, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the witch who saved our hero."  
_ _At Hogwarts, Headmistress Minerva McGonagall said – "Since Harry Potter's name never vanished from the rolls of future students, I knew that he was alive, although I had worried about his well-being given the type of muggles he was placed with. Knowing that he is alive and that not only his godfather but also his father's other closest friend, Remus Lupin, are helping him to adjust to our society comes as a great relief to me."  
_ _Remus Lupin, the Seneschal and Proxy for House Black, declined to give any comments, but promised a press release would be forthcoming._

_The reaction to The-Boy-Who-Lived's return – Pages 2 to 6  
_ _Who is the Sunset Lady? – Page 7  
_ _What is the Jedi Way? – Page 8  
_ _History of the Most Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter – Pages 9 to 11  
_ _History of the Noble And Most Ancient House of Black – Pages 12 and 13  
_ _The Weasley Family – A profile – Pages 14 to 16  
_ _Hermione Granger – A Muggleborn prodigy? – Page 17_

"Ouch." Ron flinched. "They've made a _huge_ mistake."

Everyone looked at him and he shrugged. "They've brought up Hermione's blood-status. Even _I'm_ not stupid enough to do that, have any of you seen the report she did on the declining intellectual capabilities of purebloods as compared to half-bloods and muggleborns?"

The stares increased, then Ginny spoke up. "You just used… some _really_ long words… who are you and what have you done with my brother!"

Ron gave her a withering glare. "I'd like to see _you_ trying to spend some time around Hermione without learning a few things. I'd say she was mental if I wasn't so scared of what she might decide to do to me."

.

"Damn! Damn it all to hell!"

"Something wrong, dear?" Narcissa asked as she entered the room in time to see her husband, Lucius Malfoy, throw a copy of the Daily Prophet onto the floor, an expression of fury on his normally-controlled face.

"Potter's back, and Black's got his hands on him."

"Oh dear." Narcissa said quietly. "With the Potter votes now active… Maybe you could make a case that Black's not a fit guardian. My _dear_ cousin did spend almost half a decade in Azkaban."

Lucius looked thoughtful for a few moments, then sighed and shook his head. "Wouldn't work. He's been out for several years with no ill-effects _and_ he's not the one looking after Potter. The mysterious witch who rescued him is doing that, and given the sheer control of the cutting curse she used in doing so… I wouldn't like to go up against someone like her, pureblood, halfblood, mudblood or whatever."

Narcissa shrugged slightly. "Well, at least Sirius listened to Andromeda and didn't dissolve our marriage."

"Only barred our son from ever inheriting the title of Lord Black." Lucius grumbled. "Things are going from bad to worse. Black currently has an entire _village_ of werewolves loyal to him, forcing Fenrir to flee the country and half of my former allies are in hiding after that damned traitor Pettigrew was captured. Even that bastard Fudge can't be counted on now, Black can outspend me a dozen times over and not notice! And now the ever-damned _Boy-Who-Lived_ has appeared with a witch who could be Morgana le Faie reborn… our society is failing, Narcissa. Soon those damned mudbloods will begin thinking they're our equals, it's bad enough that the half-bloods keep getting all puffed up and acting as if they're worth anything. Even if the Dark Lord returned tomorrow, he'd be hard-pushed to keep our world from falling apart."

Narcissa nodded in agreement, but her heart wasn't in it.

.

Severus Snape re-read the paper and sighed. Lily's son was safe. Absent-mindedly stroking his left forearm, Severus continued to read the paper until he heard the door open, then he folded the copy of the Daily Prophet and looked up at the first-year class who were sitting down nervously.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect most of you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even put a stopper on death – so long as you are willing to learn. We shall begin with a potion that does not appear in your books. It was created by Lily Potter. Once brewed, I shall tell you what it does, the instructions are on the board. Begin."

Severus watched the students start working, one of each pair preparing the cauldron while the rest began collecting the ingredients, his hand caressing the pocket in which a worn roll of parchment resided. A piece of parchment that he'd had to cast several spells on to prevent it falling apart as he re-read it every day.

Movement caught his eye and Severus quickly used a summoning charm, pulling a small item away from the cauldron that it had been arcing towards. Glancing at it, he stalked over to the person who had thrown it, his face set in a scowl.

"And just _what_ do you think you were trying to do, Mister Bletchley?" Snape growled at the suddenly-scared student. "This is a _potions lab_ , not chaser practice! I will have no tricks, pranks or attempts at sabotage in _my_ potions lab, no matter the house! Twenty points from Slytherin for attempting to sabotage another student and I want a three foot essay on the dangers of adding random ingredients to unknown potions on my desk by Saturday morning!"

Miles Bletchley nodded meekly and Severus looked round to see all the other students, Gryffindor and Slytherin, staring at him.

"What?"

Another moment passed, then the students returned to work, whispering to each other, even though the Slytherins kept giving him betrayed looks.

He would have to remind them that _true_ Slytherins used cunning and guile and were never _caught_ breaking rules.

Continuing to stalk around the dungeon, he paused at the cauldron that one of the Weasley twins was stirring and looked at it.

"Excellent colour, keep up the good work."

Severus stalked back to the front of the classroom, robes flaring as he ignored the shocked whispers echoing in the classroom. His lips twitched slightly. Another week to go and then he wouldn't have to deal with the lower years again, another potions teacher would be in charge of those dunderheads. Just the NEWT students for him and more time to do what he wanted, like research.

And all because Lily's son was going to come to Hogwarts.

.

The pink-clad witch stared at the paper with mounting fury. With the brat's re-emergence, she was no longer going to be the proxy for the Potter seat, a position that she had arranged for herself through judicious usage of blackmail and taking advantages of legal loopholes that she herself had arranged. Now, her rise up the ranks of the Ministry of Magic was in danger, but should the brat die, she would lose her position anyway and risk Azkaban if she was linked to his demise.

If she wanted to keep her position, she had to remove the brat without actually killing him. Her newly-granted control of the Dementors wouldn't help, having the little bastard Kissed might leave him technically alive, but legally he would be dead and she _would_ be investigated.

Placing the paper on the table, Dolores Umbridge sat back in her chair, her mind whirring as she examined all the angles. Her background in Slytherin came to her aid as she considered, altered and discarded plan after plan. Black was too well-known and too powerful to target, and if she tried to take out the others mentioned in the will, it would be obvious even to the morons in the Wizengamot what was happening, that their so-called hero was in danger.

Legally, Black was effectively untouchable. His wrongful imprisonment had led to the Wizengamot decreeing that anyone jailed without a trial should be given one as soon as possible and should the length of incarceration exceed six months, huge amounts of compensation would be paid. Thanks to the bitch Bones, even his (former) status as an illegal Animagus couldn't be used against him. The number of Animagi had risen hugely since he began to give lessons using the _Marauder method_. Dolores herself had taken the revelation potion to discover the form that she was able to attain if she wanted but she just _knew_ that Black had pranked her, there was no way such a beauty as herself could ever be a _toad_ of all things.

Attacking the mysterious witch who had stolen the brat from the muggle home was a possibility, but one which she would have to do covertly. Even then, the fact that the muggle man was in jail while the brat's skeletal aunt and spherical cousin had moved to a smaller house (thus completely destroying the wards Dumbledore had placed) meant that returning the little bastard to them was no longer an option.

With a sigh, Dolores finally acknowledged that there was no way she could keep the Potter Proxy for herself, but she had several other potential proxy seats earmarked for herself, less powerful but also less conspicuous. Summoning a sheet of parchment and a quill, she began her exercise in damage control.

' _To the Lord of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black._

_It is with great relief and joy that I, Dolores Umbridge, Junior Undersecretary of the Minister of Magic, do hereby relinquish into your hands the Proxy seat on the Wizengamot for the Most Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter, and with it my congratulations and best wishes for your godson, now returned to us, by Merlin's grace, unharmed from his ordeal…_

Her normally superior expression collapsed into a snarl of fury as her quill skittered across the parchment.

.

Albus Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and one-time Headmaster of Hogwarts (a position that he hadn't realized meant so much to him until he had been forced to relinquish it to Minerva McGonagall) sighed as he slowly placed the Daily Prophet down onto the table. Taking a calming sip of tea, he leaned back, staring into space as his mind whirred through all the permutations of the revealed information.

The witch was the key. He was sure of it.

He'd never heard of this Jedi Way, and he was certain that Riddle hadn't either. Perhaps this, not love, was the Power That He Knows Not.

Approaching the boy would be a problem. Despite his remaining positions, the only reason that Albus had was to offer his apology for placing the boy with his Aunt, but who would have thought that Lily Potter's sister would have been so uncaring?

Returning the boy to his Aunt was obviously a plan that had to be abandoned, there was no way that the public would accept it. Fortunately, the Potter Manor wards would probably protect the boy until Voldemort returned and Black would no doubt go out of his way to ensure that Harry was fully trained in combat.

Which could be a problem, given that the boy was a Horcrux. He had to die for the Greater Good, but with him being in a position to see what he could (and almost certainly _would_ ) claim, the chances of him being willing to sacrifice himself were growing less every day.

Albus sighed. Perhaps it _was_ time to seek help. Maybe one of his colleagues would be able to find out what he could not, how to deal with Horcruxes without destroying the container.

Just maybe, Riddle could be defeated without sacrificing the son of two of his favorite students.

Maybe.

.

Nymphadora ' _use-my-first-name-and-die_ ' Tonks spun in the Hufflepuff common room, her fist scything through the air and connecting with a moving orb of glowing light which promptly flickered out of existence. Another orb appeared, projected by a special rune-engraved box that Remus Lupin had created at the behest of Ahsoka Tano, and Tonks lashed out with a high kick, her leg briefly extending to a quarter-again its length, making the orb vanish.

If only she could do that to the muggle relatives of her now-favourite distant cousin, Harry.

Another orb was dispatched and Tonks spared a brief glance at the now-folded letter from Harry and his mother on one of the seats. She owed Ahsoka Tano, and not just for rescuing Harry. Ahsoka had taken her aside and told her of the shapeshifters that she had met in her travels, creatures with names like the Sheedoe and Clawdytes. Using the tales that Ahsoka had told her, as well as several exercises that Ahsoka had been told about or witnessed but couldn't perform herself, Tonks had quickly gained greater control of her metamorphic capabilities, learning to incorporate her changes flawlessly rather than constantly trying to control and fight them, co-incidentally removing her clumsiness.

A rather unwelcome side-effect had been the increased number of boys trying to date her.

A chime signalled that she had dissipated all of the target orbs and Tonks inhaled deeply, then her eyes widened in shock as a near-thunderous roar of applause erupted. The doorways to the common room were crammed with her housemates while Professor Sprout stood by the entrance to her quarters, her face alight with impressed approval.

"…oh bugger." Tonks whispered to herself.

She obviously needed to find a new place to practice.

.

In his prison cell, Pettigrew stared at the cover of the copy of the Daily Prophet that had been delivered by a sneering guard. Even though he knew that Black had arranged it to drive home the cost of his betrayal, Peter couldn't help but unfold it, reading the headlines and story with a mounting sense of despair.

Black had done it! He'd found Potter and had him safe, there was no way that Pettigrew could get to him now should he manage to escape before the Dark Lord returned as he had promised.

Slowly folding the paper and placing it on his bed, refusing to give in to the urge to tear it to shreds, Peter hunkered down in the corner and tears began to flow down his cheeks.

He'd betrayed his only friends for a chance to serve the most powerful wizard in Britain, only to see his master destroyed and himself forced to flee, becoming a wanted fugitive rather than a trusted servant, the a prisoner with no real future left.

Bereft of hope and knowing he only truly had himself to blame, Pettigrew wept silently.

.

* * *

.

Sirius stared at the locket dangling in his grasp.

"You mean to tell me that _this_ is…?"

"One of Voldemort's Horcruxes." Ahsoka confirmed, staring at it in confusion. "I have _no_ idea how it came to be here, it should be in a booby-trapped cave."

" _One_ of…?" Sirius choked, dropping the locket onto the table and staring at it. "How many did the bastard make?"

"At least five." Ahsoka said, ignoring Sirius' expression of horrified shock. "This locket, a diary, a crown, a ring and a goblet. He had intended to turn a brooch into one when he tried to kill Harry, but the spell went wrong and the soul-fragment ended up in Harry instead."

"Merlin…" Remus breathed from behind Sirius. "Five Horcruxes… that means he's still around!"

"Harry and I got rid of the piece of soul left in Harry's scar." Ahsoka said with a slight shrug. "I claimed the memory-fragments and we both got the ability to talk to snakes from it."

Remus stared at Ahsoka. "Parseltongue?"

"We need to destroy this." Sirius stated, ignoring the byplay. "But how?"

"Not much can resist a lightsaber." Ahsoka shrugged as she ignited her blade. Raising it up, she stabbed down with it, the plasma-bonded blade passing almost effortlessly through the outer shell and spitting the contents. A screech lanced out, causing the two men to flinch away, then a wisp of green smoke rose, briefly forming into a screaming face before it dissipated.

"Beast-lady has destroyed locket." A voice mumbled in amazement. "Master Regulus' last command is followed, locket is destroyed."

All three adults stared at the bedraggled house-elf that had appeared from nowhere, then Sirius slowly lowered himself to one knee to get a better look at his elf.

"Kreacher, what happened to my brother, how did he get this locket?"

"Bad Lord ordered Master Regulus to order Kreacher to help him hide locket. Forced Kreacher to drink bad liquid, make Kreacher feel very sad, want to die. Bad Lord leave Kreacher to die, but Master Regulus order Kreacher to return after, so Kreacher did. Master Regulus have Kreacher take him to cave, Master give Kreacher order to take locket and destroy. Master drink bad water and Kreacher take locket, but Kreacher not able to destroy. Beast-lady destroy locket, Master Regulus command done. Bad Lord locket no more."

Sirius rose to his feet, then looked at the house-elf before reaching for the damaged and now-inert locket.

"Kreacher, as Lord Black, I order you to take this locket and protect it in memory of my younger brother."

Kreacher took the locket, tears dripping from his eyes. "Master is nice, giving Kreacher task to remember. Kreacher remember Master Regulus, was nice master. Never shout at Kreacher. Kreacher always remember nice master."

Sirius shot a guilty look at Ahsoka, then took a deep breath.

"Kreacher, I am planning on building a larger, better house here. One suited to the status of the renewed Black family. I want you to sort everything into two piles, one pile for the vault until the new house is built and the things can be used again, the second pile anything that _you_ really want, things that you think I would throw out if you did not claim them."

Kreacher glanced towards the entrance and Ahsoka winced in memory of the ferocious tongue-lashing that the portrait by the door had unleashed on them, a tirade that had increased when the portrait had realised that Ahsoka wasn't human.

"Yes, Kreacher, you can have my mother's portrait." Sirius said. Ahsoka gave him a questioning look and he shrugged.

"I thought Regulus died a Death Eater. Finding out that he tried to take down Voldemort… There's a great deal that I have to rethink."

Ahsoka nodded, then looked at where Kreacher had been standing.

"That's two down, four to go."

Sirius nodded, his face firming. "Diary, crown, ring and goblet. Wherever they are, the House of Black will see them tracked down and destroyed."

"I have no more information than what I gave you." Ahsoka warned. Sirius nodded.

"The Aurors owe me a favor. I'll call on Madam Bones. In the meantime, shall we head back and see how Dan is coping with the kids?"

"I hope Harry is enjoying himself." Ahsoka mused as they walked out of the house.

"I hope Dan's managed to keep the Manor intact." Remus deadpanned and Sirius barked with laughter.

.

* * *

.

"How did your day go?" Sirius asked as he heard Hermione walk up to stand beside him, his gaze fixed on the dueling duo in the garden.

"It was… what's going on?"

"Jedi training." Sirius shrugged. "I found out that I can't become a Jedi, apparently Remus has _some_ potential, but since he's fully grown and has been a wizard for ages, not to mention he wouldn't be very strong at it, he decided not to bother trying to become one."

Hermione stared in wonder at the two lightsaber-wielding figures.

"You could probably learn that." Sirius said with a slight shrug. "Apparently it isn't _just_ physical, there's quite a bit of mental exercising as well. Ginny is already learning meditation from them, even though she hasn't any Force Potential, just like me."

"I _am_ seriously considering it." Hermione admitted. "And don't you _dare_ do your normal pun."

For several moments, they watched the dance of combat, then Hermione shook her head in an attempt to re-focus.

"My school sent these with me, Harry's test results."

Sirius accepted the folder and opened it, skimming through the contents before handing it back with a smile.

"Excellent. It looks like you'll be getting a new classmate for the next couple of years."

For a moment, Sirius' comment failed to penetrate, then her eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Yes. And Remus has another set of Runic Doors made, so we can finally install one in your parents house, with their permission. Far better than relying on a Portkey, yes?"

Hermione nodded with feeling. She _hated_ the way that Portkeys felt when used.

"So… where will the door lead?"

"To the Concourse." Sirius replied as Harry barely escaped from being pinned. "Remus had the warehouse fully warded. I swear, once he was done with it, I think each _brick_ had its own runic array."

Hermione glanced at Sirius. He was obviously joking, but Hermione privately wondered _just_ how much he was kidding.

"Anyway," Sirius continued, "Harry's Doors are arrayed in the middle section, also called the Pillar, yours will be placed in whichever Wall-cabin you want and the cabin warded so only those you grant access to can enter."

"Wall-cabin?"

"Remus used something called partocabins in the warehouse, covered two walls with them, four layers high, and then had ten placed in a column five high in the middle with an internal staircase. The walkways look odd, who uses metal grilles instead of good solid stone? But it works. Harry's properties will be linked via the Pillar, while his friends, such as you, me, the Weasleys and so on, each get our own cabin or two to store our Doors in."

"How many cabins are there?" Hermione asked curiously and Sirius shrugged.

"Ignoring the Pillar, about forty, I think. He said something about a door for Hogsmeade and a couple more for Diagon and Mungo's if he can get safe areas for the links, but I don't know if it's in the walls or a standalone. He used several tons of gravel and a few large stones, installed a pond as well."

Hermione grinned. "Sounds like a Zen garden. I'd like to see it some time."

"I'll take you now, if you want, they'll be out there for another hour at least." Sirius smiled. "You can pick out your own Cabin for installation."

"I'd like that." Hermione said with a smile, accepting Sirius' proffered arm.

.

"And this is the workroom." Sirius said almost half an hour later, leading Hermione down a set of semi-concealed steps. As they walked down, Hermione looked round, seeing that they were descending into a large basement that was almost the same size as the warehouse. One end-wall had a vertical rectangle of sixteen portacabins, one of which had its front removed, revealing that it was a reinforced steel cage. The other end of the basement was crowded with stacks of dismounted doors and lumber while the middle had several large workbenches and multiple Runic Doors in various stages of completion.

"Each Door pair takes almost a week to make due to the large number of runes that need engraving and charms that need to be cast." Sirius said, leading Hermione into the workshop. Hermione's gaze drifted to the third wall, on which were mounted multiple blackboards and whiteboards, each covered in complex symbold and equations.

"This place is _amazing_." Hermione breathed in awe and Sirius grinned.

"Remus and I come here every few days to work on building more Doors ready for use. Once we start building alliances, having this place as a hub will prove invaluable. Runic Doors cannot be intercepted or reprogrammed like the Floo and Portkeys can, and if you try to alter one door, the connection is broken, meaning that running through one and then using a blasting charm on it means that no-one can follow."

"Totally secure." Hermione nodded in understanding. "Nice."

Sirius nodded, then looked round.

"Remus said that he had something to do. I wonder what?"

.

Albus Dumbledore stared in shocked disbelief at the werewolf sat opposite him.

"What?"

"Horcruxes." Remus repeated. "We've discovered that Voldemort made some, and we were hoping for your help in finding them."

Albus stared at him, his sense of shock deepening. "How did you…?"

"From the person who's dealt with two of them." Remus shrugged. "And no, I won't tell you who. That's the reason that _I_ came, as a werewolf, anyone who tries to _Legilimens_ me will have their mind ripped apart, and I'm highly resistant to the _Imperius_ curse."

Albus sighed and leaned back in his seat. "Well played, Remus. So what did you want from me?"

"Your help." Remus said with a shrug. "We have an idea of what each Horcrux is, but little more than that. The two that have been neutralized were Harry's scar and Slytherin's locket."

Albus' eyebrows shot up at the mention of the scar. "Is Harry still…?"

"Alive? Merlin, yes." Remus grinned, enjoying the look of amazement on Albus' face. "He has a new mother now, amazing woman. She recently discovered that she's a witch and I'm helping her pass her OWLs so that the ministry can't do anything stupid like trying to seize Harry. Arthur's helping. Where was I?"

"Slytherin's locket." Albus supplied and Remus nodded.

"The other horcruxes are a diary, a crown, a ring and goblet, all rather odd choices."

"Slythering's locket, a diary, a crown, a ring and goblet…" Albus mused. "If we assume that he tried to use important items wherever possible… I wonder if the crown is a diadem…"

"Ravenclaw's Diadem?" Remus asked, instantly following the logic, "Then… Hufflepuff's goblet. The ring and the diary… I don't remember any legendary rings… actually, I remember _too_ many."

"Maybe the ring of his family." Albus mused, feeling his energy levels rise as he contemplated the puzzles and challenges awaiting him.

"His original name was Tom Marvolo Riddle, if that helps." Remus supplied. "Sirius and I are already trying to track his movements back, figure out where he might have hidden his anchors."

"Then I shall be honored to help you." Albus said. "But about Harry's scar…"

"Checked by Andromeda Tonks and several other healers, human, goblin and even a centaur." Remus smiled. "The scar no longer contains the soul fragment.."

Albus blinked several times. "But… the prophecy…"

"Prophecy? What prophecy?" Remus asked, pouncing like a wolf on its prey.

"It was made before Harry was born." Albus said slowly. "I heard it and…"

"Tell. Me." Remus ground out and Albus sighed.

"Very well. The prophecy goes… _T_ _he one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ..._ " Albus paused. "I believed that the power the Dark Lord knows not is…"

"The Jedi Way." Remus interrupted, causing Albus to blink.

"What?"

"The Jedi Way." Remus repeated, a smirk playing around his lips. "Harry is being trained in the ways of the Jedi by his mother, a Jedi Knight."

"Jedi." Albus repeated, carefully enunciating the unfamiliar word. "What is a… Jedi? The Daily Prophet didn't give much in the way of details."

"They are agents of the light." Remus shrugged. "Travelling warriors who fight evil and help wherever they can, not seeking any reward for their actions. Think of them as… a monastic order of healers and warriors."

"What type of spells do they use?" Albus inquired and Remus laughed.

"They don't. They don't even use magic, but they can perform feats that magic cannot. They can enhance their abilities, move things without touching them, sense the emotions of others, even see the patterns of the future."

Albus frowned in worry. "Has Harry abandoned magic, then?"

"No." Remus said. "He'll attend Hogwarts, learn magic, but he will be a Jedi first, using the Force. The power that the Dark Lord knows not."

Albus sat in silence for several moments, then slowly nodded.

"I will be happy to help you find the Horcruxes. I assume that you have a way of destroying them, since you said that two are dealt with already? And can you tell me more about these… Jedi?"

Remus' grin reminded Albus of that of a wolf on the hunt.


	9. School Days

"Here it is."Hermione said as she leapt out of the car, Harry following her as he once again adjusted the tie he was wearing. "My school and now yours as well, Arnhem Wharf. The Thames flows behind the school, so try not to fall in!"

Harry shook his head at Hermione's teasing tone as he followed her down the lane towards the entrance. Behind them, Emma gave them a quick wave before pulling away.

"Come on!" Hermione said, grabbing Harry's hand and pulling him in through the entrance, then down one of the corridors before he had a chance to get his bearings.

"Hermione!"

"What?" Hermione laughed as she towed him up a flight of stairs, coming to a stop outside a classroom. "Okay, this is our classroom. Coats hang at the back and we keep our bags with us. Come on!"

Harry followed Hermione in and looked round curiously at the room. Large windows looked out over the concrete playground while the tables were arrayed in neat lines facing the front, where a large blackboard was mounted on the wall slightly to the side of the teacher's desk. Several other children were already there and they gazed at him curiously as Hermione led him to the line of coat-hooks, then to the front line of tables.

"Hey, bushy, who's your friend?"

Harry could _feel_ the bolt of annoyance and anger that went through Hermione at the derogatory reference to her un-tamable hair, but her self-control instantly quashed it as she turned and placed a smile on her face.

"Olivia, this is my friend Harry Tano. Harry, _this_ is Olivia Anderson."

Harry ensured that his face was expressionless as he looked at the girl, he could almost _see_ the bile and jealousy radiating off her.

"Miss Anderson."

"Harry. What are you doing with _her_?"

"Enjoying myself." Harry replied. "We met on a beach while holidaying in Cornwall and soon discovered that we lived really close to each other, so my mother arranged for me to be transferred here to be closer to my best friend."

Hermione stared at Harry with a grin. What he had said was true (from a certain point of view) since she had followed him onto a beach (hence technically meeting him there) and their houses were only separated by a couple of rooms and a walkway.

"Wow, hey new kid!" Another voice said and Hermione turned to face the new arrivals who were flowing into the room.

.

* * *

.

Andromeda Tonks stared at the Weasley twins for a moment, then turned her attention to the cauldrons in front of them.

"And where are your notes?"

Silently, one of the twins passed them over and Tonks leafed through them, her eyebrows rising slightly. "I see. So _this_ is why you wanted to use the potions lab. Which house were you planning on targeting?"

"All of them." One of the twins said quietly and Andromeda gave a wry smile.

"I assume you've tested it?"

"Only lasted an hour." Said the second twin. "Well, actually fifty-seven minutes."

Andromeda nodded again. "I assume that you are working on the delivery."

Both boys nodded and Andromeda wrote a quick note on a piece of parchment. Giving it to them, she turned and glided towards the door. "I look forwards to seeing the results, you may get extra points for this, as long as _all_ the houses are pranked and the lessons afterwards are unaffected."

Fred and George swapped incredulous stares, then looked at the note.

"Wow… Professor Tonks is _sneaky_."

.

"And what has you so amused?" Headmistess McGonogal asked as Andromeda took her place beside fellow-potions Professor Snape. Snape looked at her curiously.

"Oh, a couple of my students wanted some extra credit. They really are showing potential."

Snape nodded. "Since Mrs Tonks joined us and took over the OWLs course, I have noticed that the students who are likely to choose to take the Potions NEWTs under my direction aren't anywhere near as dunderheaded as before. They actually seem to _want_ to learn."

Andromeda smiled at the hidden compliment, then turned her attention to the students at the four tables in front of them. A moment later, a cry of surprise rang out as one of the students found himself looking like Filius Flitwick. A second student turned into a McGonogal-lookalike, then a third suddenly sprouted a beard like Hagrid's.

"Professor," Snape said slowly, "Would the students seeking extra credit perhaps have been the Weasley twins?"

Andromeda gave him a quick smile as the students continued to transform into smaller versions of the various professors, the laughter levels increasing as some of the students started to imitate them as well. Andromeda noted that the Weasley twins had, themselves, transformed into Poppy Pomphrey and Minerva McGonogal.

"Well, assuming it lasts only as long as they said it did, it should have worn off by the start of the next lesson." Andromeda said as she stood, gaining everyone's attention. "I see that an excellent prank was played. Fifty points to Gryffindor for the complexity and humor of the prank, but a point _will_ be deducted from Gryffindor for each student who has not changed back by the time their next lesson starts. I for one don't think I could bring myself to accuse someone looking like Professor Snape of not knowing his basic potions."

A round of laughter and applause sounded as Fred and George stood and curtsied regally. Andromeda sat down again and Minerva leaned over.

"Encouraging them, are we?"

"And making clear that _only_ short-term effects are acceptable." Andromeda replied. "Severus, I know that you don't like having your house pranked, but I informed the twins that they could either target a single individual who had roused their ire or the whole school, but _not_ individual houses. Yours is not and will not be singled out."

Severus nodded at her, then applied himself to the meal before him.

.

* * *

.

The gym teacher watched in amazement as Harry and Hermione almost _flowed_ over the obstacle course in the gymnasium. Instead of simply vaulting over the wooden horse like the others, they had somersaulted over it, landing lightly as feathers. The ropes had proved almost too easy for them while instead of tiptoeing along the balance beams, they had first run across them, then exchanged grins and performed simultaneous shoulder-rolls without falling off.

Whatever martial art the _Way of the Jedi_ was, it was certainly worthy of attention given how much Hermione, once the worst in class, had improved in the last few months.

To one side, Olivia tried to scowl, although her jaw kept threatening to drop. Before Harry had arrived, Hermione had simply been an unfit bookworm who was an easy target. Now, she was faster and more agile than almost anyone else in the class, yet was still the top student in the tests.

It just wasn't fair! How could a buck-toothed bookworm be better than the perfect Olivia Anderson? How could the hunky new boy prefer the bushy-haired bitch to a true girl like Olivia?

Olivia clenched her fists and looked at the few members of her gang who were in class with her. She was going to see about regaining her position of superiority over that bookworm, even if she had to slap her oversized teeth out to do it.

.

* * *

.

Severus watched carefully as the ground flobberworm was slowly added to the cauldron, the color changing slowly to a bright blue as the ash stick stirred it in a figure of eight. A brief mist rose and the stick was withdrawn.

"Sir, I think it's done." The fifth-year student said.

"It is indeed." Snape said, looking at the shimmering surface. Waving his wand above it, he nodded.

"Bottle it up. Twenty points each to Ravenclaw for a perfect potion. I feel certain that Madam Pomfrey will be overjoyed to have her delivery of Skele-gro without draining her budget."

The bottling went quickly as Snape moved across just in time to see the next cauldron being removed from the flame. The small wisps of vapor that rose from it told him that the procedure had gone perfectly.

"Shall we bottle it now, sir?"

"Indeed." Snape agreed. "That looks like a perfect Dreamless Sleep potion. Twenty points each to Slytherin and Gryffindor."

"Thank-you sir." The Gryffindor student said, already passing the first vial to his lab-partner and Snape nodded before moving on.

"And how goes the Blood-replenishing potion?"

"Another five minutes, sir." The girl replied as she slowly stirred the pot with a willow stick. Snape nodded at her unwillingness to be rushed, a good trait for any Potions Mistress.

"Continue." He simply replied and strode back to his desk, hiding a small smile.

He really had to come up with some way to properly thank Professor Tonks, she _knew_ how to stop the students being such aggravating dunderheads. He was actually _enjoying_ teaching for the first time in his life. His classes had been cut to every alternate fifth-year class and all the NEWT students, giving him plenty of time to continue his research.

And it wouldn't have happened if a small boy hadn't found himself being rescued by a wandering witch.

Another thing to thank Lily's son and the mystery witch for.

.

* * *

.

Olivia groaned as she fought to open her eyes. Her body was aching all over and her thoughts were still jumbled.

She thought back to her plan. It had been simple, confront the bookworm after isolating her, threaten her to get her to give up on the green-eyed hunk and if she refused, hit her until she agreed, then threaten her with more if she told anyone.

Yet the plan had failed.

The bitch had _laughed_ at her, and when she had tried to hit her, the little whore had actually blocked her slap. And not just once, three times! And when Olivia had tried to punch her in the stomach… she wasn't quite certain what had happened, she could only remember the world spinning around her and the playground surface rushing up to meet her.

"Olivia Cynthia Anderson." A voice snapped and Olivia flinched. She _knew_ that voice, what was her mother doing here. Hoping it was just a dream, Olivia abandoned her attempts to open her eyes.

"Olivia Cynthia Anderson." Her mother repeated, "I know that you are awake. You _will_ get up _now_!"

Wincing as her body twinged with unaccustomed bruises, Olivia opened her eyes and slowly levered herself into a sitting position, discovering in the process that she had been lying on a settee in the Headmaster's office. Looking round, she flinched as she saw the Headmaster sat behind the desk while her mother loomed over her, her eyes almost glowing with barely-suppressed fury.

"Wh… what happened?" Olivia groaned.

"What happened?" Olivia's mother repeated, hands clenching. "What happened? You tried to attack another girl, that's what happened!"

Olivia paled, but her mind didn't freeze. Realizing that she was in trouble and that this time, her mother wasn't simply going to pull her out of it without a reason, Olivia decided to brazen it out and shift the blame to where (in her opinion) it truly belonged.

"That girl was the one who attacked _me_!" She snapped. "I was minding my own business, when…"

"Olivia. Cynthia. Anderson." Her mother ground out as she grabbed Olivia's collar and pulled her off the settee. "The Headmaster witnessed the whole thing,, you went after that girl and attacked her, she only defended herself."

Olivia went white, but her mother continued.

"What this means is simple, now that I have been told about your actions, I find myself wondering how many of the _other_ incidents you were involved in were actually your fault."

Olivia couldn't move as her mother's eyes bored straight into her own.

"You have been suspended for the rest of the week, and we _will_ talk about this. You have _lied_ to me for years and right now, I'm _ashamed_ to call you my daughter!"

Olivia felt an odd dampness start trickling down her leg, then her world vanished into blackness once again.

.

* * *

.

The doorbell rang and Hermione rose from the breakfast table. Pausing only to place her bowl in the sink, she walked to the front door, frowning in thought.

Christmas holidays had just started and none of her (few) school friends were due to visit for several days, at least. Her other friends, Harry or the Weasley kids, would have come through the door (disguised as a cupboard) in the study and her parents hadn't mentioned anyone visiting.

Reaching the door, she opened it and blinked at the man on the other side.

He was short.

Shorter than she was.

"Miss Hermione Jean Granger?"

Hermione nodded as she stared at the man. Despite his short stature, he had a large white mustache which blended with his enormous sideburns and, when he lifted his top-hat in greeting, she saw that he was bald.

"My name is Filius Flitwick and I was hoping to speak with you and your parents. Are they in?"

Hermione's mind suddenly pulled up several stories Sirius and Remus had shared, connected the dots and suggested a plan. Controlling her expression, she stepped back, waving for him to come in.

"My dad's out, but my mum is in. Please, come in. Mum!"

Hermione led Flitwick into the study as Emma came down the stairs. Entering the room, Emma blinked at the sight of the new arrival.

"Mum, this is Mr Filius Flitwick." Hermione said, praying that her mum would catch the honorific used and play along. "Mr Flitwick, my mother, Emma Granger."

"An honour to meet you, Mrs Granger." Flitwick said with a formal bow that should have looked silly on someone of his size, but somehow looked almost regal. "My apologies for the intrusion, but I have brought some news for your daughter. Before we begin, may I ask if you have noticed any… unusual events that have defied rational explanation, events which probably occurred when your daughter was suffering from high or strong emotions?"

Emma nodded and Flitwick smiled at her.

"Such things are perfectly natural, they are what is known as _Accidental Magic_. Your daughter is one of the few who are capable of using what we call magic. May I demonstrate?"

Emma nodded again and Flitwick pulled out his wand. A few twirls and jabs along with a muttered incantation caused a veritable cascade of semi-transparent butterflies to appear, flying round the room for a few minutes before slowly fading. Filius looked up as both Emma and Hermione applauded, then he laughed and bowed.

"Thank you, thank you."

"That was amazing." Hermione said, throwing her mother a quick wink. "I've never seen Uncle Remus do anything like that before, he normally goes for flowers and pranks."

Filius blinked. "Uncle… Remus?"

"Oh, yes." Hermione said, running to the Rune Door and opening it. "Come on, do you think Ron and Ginny will be impressed too?"

"Wait!" Filius cried as he ran after her through the door. "I have to tell… you about… where are we?"

Hermione laughed as she grabbed the hand of the dazed Filius and towed him along the walkway and through another Door, emerging into a large entry hall to see a familiar pair of green eyes. Behind her, she could sense her mother catching up with them.

"Harry, this is Professor Filius Flitwick!"

Filius blinked. "How did you know that I'm a…"

"From Hogwarts?" Harry asked, causing Filius to freeze again as he tried to work out how things had gone so sideways on him. "Uncle Padfoot! Uncle Moony!"

Before Filius could settle his whirling thoughts, a black dog charged into the hall and skidded to a halt before rippling into the familiar form of Sirius Black.

"Dammit, Padfoot." Remus groused as he came to a halt by his friend. "Warn me next… Deputy Headmaster Flitwick! What brings you here?"

"I… letter…" Filius managed and Sirius burst out laughing.

"Hermione, did you just prank a Hogwarts professor? Oh, that's _brilliant_! If you weren't going to get those lessons free anyway, I'd be refusing to charge you for Animagi lessons after _this_."

Flitwick shook his head, completely confused.

"By the way," Sirius continued, "Aren't you a _little_ late with her letter?"

.

"You're back earlier than I expected. I was expecting Pomona to return from her trip first. _Damn_ the Ministry for trying to take over the letter duties for this year and screwing everything up." Headmistress McGonagall said, then her face fell into a frown. "Did they decline?"

"Actually, no." Flitwick said, walking over to the drinks cabinet and helping himself to a large fire-whisky. Ignoring Minerva's questioning glare, Flitwick tossed back the drink and belched a tongue of flame before picking up the bottle and another glass. Walking over to Minerva's desk, he clambered onto one of the chairs and poured two new drinks, handing one to her.

"She already knew and was eager to come here."

Minerva's eyes widened. "What? She _knew_? How? She's a Muggleborn! Isn't she? Wait… oh Merlin, she's _that_ Granger, isn't she?"

"She is." Filius nodded. "First generation witch, frighteningly intelligent and friends with Harry Potter-Tano. Of course, it wasn't until she managed to put me in shock that I _finally_ remembered who she was. She is indeed _the_ Hermione Granger. I must be getting old, I _used_ to be sharper than that."

Minerva blinked, then took a sip of the fire-whiskey. A small flicker of fire emerged from between her lips as she put the glass down.

"Harry Potter- _Tano_?"

Filius nodded again. "They're both Padawans. No, let me explain. It would seem that Harry _wasn't_ rescued by a witch, but by a member of a race that no-one in England has ever met before. He sees her as his mother, her name is Ahsoka Tano, and she's a member of a monastic group known as _Jedi_ , who use something called the _Force_ to do incredible things. She offered to duel me, and she defeated me within _ten seconds_ in our first match…"

.

"…and Lord Black agreed that they can both come to Hogwarts, as long as certain conditions are met." Filius finished almost half an hour later.

Minerva lifted her glass to take another sip, then noticed that her glass and the bottle were both empty. "Conditions?"

"The first is that we let Ms Tano continue training both of them in the Way of the Jedi. A Rune Door, which we are to install in a secure room, will allow Ms Tano to visit to oversee their lessons or let them go to her.

"The second condition is that since they are Jedi first and Witch and Wizard second, their decision, they be allowed to retain their Jedi Robes rather than normal Hogwarts ones. I've seen them, and they are rather smart. They will, of course, be primarily black and carry the House colours.

"The third and last is that Ms Tano be allowed to offer anyone with the ability to use the Force a chance to study to become a Jedi. Such lessons will be paid for by Houses Black and Potter."

Minerva blinked several times as she considered what she had been told.

"Minerva? Minnie?"

Minerva jerked slightly as her mind re-engaged with reality. "Sorry, Filius. Just trying to get things in perspective. So, robes and Jedi status for the two of them."

Filius nodded and Minerva sighed.

"Compared to what they _could_ have demanded as part of having the Boy-who-lived attend Hogwarts… alright. I see no reason why not, but I need to meet them myself."

.

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL_ _of_ _WITCHCRAFT_ _and_ _WIZARDRY  
_ _Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall_

_Dear Hermione Granger_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely,  
Filius Flitwick_

_Deputy Headmaster_

* * *

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL_ _of_ _WITCHCRAFT_ _and_ _WIZARDRY_

_UNIFORM_

_First-year students will require:_

_1\. Three sets of plain work robes (black)  
_ _2\. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear  
_ _3\. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
_ _4\. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)_

_Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags._

_COURSE BOOKS_

_All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)_ _by Miranda Goshawk  
_ _A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot  
_ _Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling  
_ _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch  
_ _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore  
_ _Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger  
_ _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander  
_ _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble_

_OTHER EQUIPMENT_

_1 wand  
_ _1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)  
_ _1 set glass or crystal phials  
_ _1 telescope  
_ _1 set brass scales_

_Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad._

_PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK_

_Yours sincerely,  
_ _Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus  
_ _Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions_

Hermione looked up from rereading the letter yet again to see her parents grinning at her.

"Once Harry and Ron get their letters, we'll be heading out to get your school stuff, although it will be several months at least." Emma said.

"I'll be able to do wand-magic!" Hermione laughed.

"You can already do a fair bit of wandless magic." Sirius' voice said and Hermione almost flew across the room to catch him in a hug.

"I'm going to go to Hogwarts! When the letter didn't come on my birthday, I was so worried, but…"

"Let him breathe, princess." Dan stage-whispered and Hermione released Sirius, who promptly started dramatically gasping for air, earning himself a swat on his shoulder.

"Sorry, it's just… I've heard and read so much about Hogwarts, and now I'm actually going to go there!" Hermione explained, then she frowned slightly. "Although Harry and I'll be the only two in Jedi Robes there."

"You'll be taking your lightsabers." Sirius stated, then he grinned. "Make sure they're on the _sting_ setting, and feel free to use them on the death-eater spawn there."

"Padfoot!"

"What?"

.

"So, we just need Harry to get his letter, then we're all off to Diagon Alley to get our stuff." Ron noted as he looked out at where Ahsoka was overseeing the spar between Harry and Hermione. Molly winced as Hermione barely managed to dodge a low slash.

"Oh, that looks dangerous."

"Nah, bruises is all. I've tried using those sabers of theirs, ended up whacking myself on the legs and stomach. Fortunately they had it set on training rather than combat, otherwise I'd be called Stumpy." Ron shrugged. "Wish I had some of that Force Potential, what they can do with it is _really_ cool."

"Odd that only Hermione and Remus amongst us have it, and Remus doesn't have much." Sirius noted as Harry backpedaled to avoid a spiraling series of stabs. "Wow, that was a nice move."

"I'm _never_ going to do anything to get them mad at me." Ron murmured as Harry launched a counter-attack that halted Hermione's advance. "They're _good_. What were we talking about?"

"Harry's letter." Sirius said, taking another sip of his drink. Ron smirked, Molly had tried to scold Sirius for drinking in front of the children, only for Sirius to wordlessly give the flagon to her so that she could discover for herself that it was simply pumpkin juice.

"What about Ahsoka?" Molly asked. "I mean, _we_ know she's as good as any witch, but what will the Ministry do when they find out that she's a… what was it again? A togukra?"

"Togruta." Sirius corrected almost absently. "I've had Remus check the law, and nowhere are Togruta mentioned. And do you remember what I managed to pull on the Wizengamot last week?"

Molly frowned in thought. "You had them… officially declare Ahsoka Tano a Heroine of the Wizarding World for services… rendered… Sirius!"

Ron blinked in confusion as Sirius smirked. "Such an award cannot be given to creatures, Dark or Light. By having them give it to Ahsoka, they're declaring her species to be human, or equal to human, like the Veela."

Ron's eyes suddenly widened in understanding and he grinned. "Nice. But what if they change their minds?"

"They can't. Well, not after a year has passed." Sirius smirked. "That's why I went for _that_ reward rather than an Order of Merlin. Orders can be removed, like they did for Pettigrew, but a declaration? After a year and a day, that's permanent. Cheaper as well, come to think of it. Probably why they went for it."

Molly giggled. "Sirius… you are _such_ a prankster. I worry about you corrupting the twins."

"Not possible." Sirius shot back. "They were already excellent pranksters, Moony and I simply helped them to refine their art."

"And I heard that Professor Tonks laid down strict limits on the types of pranks they could perform." Moony added as he walked up behind them. "Short-term only and targeting either specific individuals for a defined reason, or all four houses for fun. She told me about several of the pranks pulled, we _really_ need to make them full Marauders."

Molly's expression was a complex mix of pride, annoyance and several other emotions. "But what sort of career prospects will they have?"

"If they do well in their OWLs and NEWTs, brilliant ones." Sirius grinned. "As long as they both get at least two NEWT E's or O's each, Remus and I are going to go into partnership with them in retail."

Molly looked somewhat reassured and Ron managed not to laugh.


	10. Outings

"And here we are." Emma said as she pulled into the parking space. "London Zoo is just down the road."

"Thank goodness." Remus muttered from the passenger seat. "Sorry, Emma, but I'm Apparating back. I really don't like car journeys. It's the wolf in me, it feels… trapped."

"I like it, it's way more comfortable than a broomstick." Ron noted from the second row of seats as he put away the travelling chess set that he had been thrashing Harry with, despite Hermione's suggestions and warnings, "And the music was… interesting."

"You don't like Queen?" Emma asked, eyes wide in pretend shock.

"Not what I said!" Ron blurted out, failing to notice Hermione smirking on his other side and Ginny and the twins trying hard not to burst out laughing behind him. "I just meant that I've never heard anything like that before."

"I enjoyed it." Ginny piped from the middle rear seat. "Where can I get a copy?"

"You can get a tape at almost any music shop." Emma shrugged as she got out of the car. "In fact, many music shops would have it on vinyl as well, if you have a record player instead of a tape deck."

"…we have a gramaphone." Ron said after a while. "I don't know if we have a tape deck, mum and dad are still talking about whether to fix the Burrow up with ekeltisty or not."

"Electricity." Hermione corrected almost absently.

"I saw a photo of the Burrow before it was rebuilt." Emma said. "How did it stay up?"

"Magic." Remus said before Ginny or Ron could respond. "Arthur needed to reinforce the spells every few weeks otherwise they risked fading."

"We've got far bigger rooms now." Ginny smiled. "Enough for everyone _and_ guests. And when the Burrow was rebuilt, they used most of the old Burrow in building it, so it's not like we lost our old home."

"I managed to put up _all_ my Chudley Cannons posters." Ron noted proudly.

"And the first time anyone steps into his room," "They think it's on fire." Fred and George quipped, earning them a glare from their younger brother.

"Is the Door still in the shed? Or have your parents got round to installing their Door in the house yet?" Emma asked and all four Weasleys nodded.

"Yeah, they _finally_ decided where to put it, in the living room by the Floo." Ginny said with a smirk. "Just where they first decided it should go _before_ mum had her little paranoid episode about _anyone_ coming in."

"Dad spent a _week_ helping Bill set up spells in the Concourse room." Ron shrugged. "I think we've got the most heavily-warded entry-room in the world."

"I helped them too." Remus said with a smile as he picked the rucksack out of the boot and slung it on his back. "I actually think I learned quite a bit from your brother, he's a really good Warder. I think that in a few months, he could probably become a professional Curse-breaker."

"Okay, we got everything? Everyone got their stuff and nothing left in the car? Good." Emma said, locking the car. "Everyone stay together, Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, I don't know how used you are to traffic, so stay on the pavement and _off_ the road."

"Muggle cars aren't charmed for safety like the Knight Bus is." Remus explained and Ginny looked worried.

"As long as you don't do anything silly, you'll be fine." Emma smiled, offering Ginny her hand. "Come on, let's go see the animals."

.

"…cute!" Ginny squealed as a small Meerkat cub ran up to the window and rose onto its hind feet, looking at her.

"Meerkats are social animals, which means they are happiest in large groups." Remus said in his best teacher's voice. "A lone Meerkat will quickly become depressed."

"Like us when," "We're apart." The twins laughed.

Ginny nodded as the baby Meerkat loped off and rubbed against the side of one of the adults. "They're just _so_ cute. They're my favorite animal!"

"We'll buy you a toy Meerkat at the gift shop." Emma laughed.

"It's funny how they stand up like that." Ron noted, "And the way they look round…"

Harry nodded in agreement. "They're happy here, I can feel it."

"Wish I could do that." Ron noted, then he shrugged. "Still, I got family, magic and friends, so I'm good. Hey, can we look at the tigers again later? They're _really_ cool."

"I'd like to look at the reptiles." Hermione said. "They have chameleons, did you know that they can change color without using magic."

All four red-heads spun round to stare at her in disbelief and Emma nodded. "It's true. Okay, we'll meander over to the reptile house, looking at other animals on the way. Sound good to everyone?"

Emma's idea was met with a round of agreement.

"I _love_ this place." Ginny giggled. "All the animals… our world doesn't have _anything_ like this."

"The more we see," "The more impressed we are."

"Hey." Remus called from beside a kiosk. "Who wants an ice cream cone?"

Ginny managed to get there first, but it would have taken a slow-motion replay to determine whether Ron or the Twins were in second place.

.

Ron flinched away from the glass as the inhabitant of the display emerged, furry legs extended.

"My _darling_ brothers turned Ron's teddy into a tarantula when he was young." Ginny explained, catching the curious looks that Harry and Hermione had given him. "Ron's hated spiders ever since."

"I'd hate them too if that had happened to me." Harry admitted. "Don't worry about it, Ron. I'm not going to make fun of you for that."

"I don't like heights much." Hermione said reassuringly. "I know just how it feels."

"Wow, flying lessons will be bad for you." Ron said slowly, completely distracted from the arachnid. "What happened?"

"I got stuck up a tree as a child." Hermione shrugged. "Dad had to use a ladder to get me down."

"Hey, this insect," "Looks just like," "The stick that," "It's perched on!"

"Wow, freaky." Ginny exclaimed happily as she spotted it. "That's quite a disguise."

"This one looks like a leaf!" Ron suddenly called from the other side of the passageway. "Wow, I never _dreamed_ that there were things like this."

.

"That is a _large_ snake." Ginny said quietly as they looked into the tank. On the other side, the huge boa constructor looked back at them.

_{{You look delicious.}}_

_{{She is my friend.}}_ Harry hissed at the snake. _{{Even if you were out here, I would not allow you to eat her.}}_

 _{{I was just joking!}}_ the Boa said hastily, then it slithered closer to the glass and lifted its head, giving Harry a measuring look. _{{You are a Speaker.}}_

 _{{I am.}}_ Harry replied, giving Ginny a reassuring smile as she stared at him wide-eyed. _{{I gained the ability to talk to snakes from an evil man who tried to kill me when I was a hatchling.}}_

 _{{Interesting.}}_ the snake replied after a moment. _{{I would like to speak more, but I am tired and need to rest. Live long and eat well, Speaker. And please come visit me again some time. It is nice to have someone to speak to.}}_

"Hey, look at what the snake's doing!" a voice said and Ginny was suddenly pushed to one side with only Harry's reflexes stopping her from slamming into the wall. The snake reared back and revealed its fangs, then the glass wall vanished and the snake lunged forwards, causing the newly-arrived boy to scream in fear and leap backwards. Harry stepped forwards and the snake paused, then slithered up Harry's leg, draping itself around his neck.

_{{Do not worry, Speaker. No scaled one would disobey one who talks to us. Your friends are safe from me, but the one who is before us and who tried to hurt your mate… do you wish me to scare him?}}_

"Duddykins, what happened!" A female shouted as two adults appeared and Harry's eyes widened in shocked recognition.

 _{{Please return to your tank. I do not want you punished for what is not your fault.}}_ He hissed quietly and the boa slithered down his arm and back through the gap where the glass had been. A moment later, the glass reappeared and Harry glanced sideways just in time to see a smirking Remus return his wand to his sleeve-holster.

"Dad, he was hissing to the snake! He made it attack me!" The boy whined and the man stepped forwards. Harry blinked.

"Wow, Ver'on, you've lost weight. I see you've gained a couple of scars as well."

Vernon Dursley went white as he took in the black hair, green eyes and faint scar on the forehead of the boy in front of him. Ignoring his wife and son, he stepped forwards, fists clenched, his face rapidly turning the colour of a ripe tomato, the slashes on his left cheek contrasting with their paleness.

"You… do you have any idea what you _did_ to us? You come out of nowhere, take our food and force us to spend my hard-earned money on you, then you run away and get us thrown into prison for years! I lost my _job_ because of you! I almost lost my eye because of you! You are _so_ going to pay for what you did!"

" _You_ are Vernon Dursley?"

"What's it to you. You another freak, like this _boy_?"

"Actually, no. I'm a werewolf." Remus smirked and Vernon reverted from red to white in an instant.

"A… a… a…"

" _And_ a combat-trained wizard." Remus continued, his features twisted into the most predatory grin Harry had ever seen. Vernon started to back away, sweat trickling down his forehead. "And I know how you treated young Harry, locking him in the cupboard under the stairs, denying him food and affection. Well, he's _pack_ , now, and we werewolves are known for _killing_ those who threaten our packs, tearing them limb from limb. I'm not the only werewolf who thinks of Harry as Pack, there's over a hundred of us that Harry's friends with. I would suggest you rethink your actions. If you value your life, you'll be somewhere else. _Now_."

Vernon swallowed, then grabbed his now-upright son and pulled him down the corridor as fast as he could without actually running. Petunia started to move after him, then looked at Harry.

"You look just like Lily, only with darker hair." She whispered, a tear trickling down her cheek. "I'm sorry."

Harry watched her leave, then felt Remus' arm wrap reassuringly round his shoulder.

"You alright, cub?"

"They're smaller than I remember them." Harry said almost meditatively and Remus started barking with laughter. Suddenly, Harry was engulfed in a hug from his other side, and he looked down to see Ginny looking up at him.

"We're your family now."

"That's right," "Little Harry-kins!" the twins said as they added themselves to the embrace. "Although when," "Gin-gins was small," "And got her first," "Boy-who-lived book," "She said that she'd," "Be the one," "Who married you."

"Fred, George!" Ginny growled and the twins looked at each other.

"I think it's time," "For a strategic retreat!"

As the twins darted behind a very amused Emma, Ron looked at his sister curiously. "You want to marry Harry?"

Ginny didn't answer verbally, instead choosing to hide her red face against Harry's chest. Remus started laughing again.

.

* * *

.

"…And we are back home." Emma said as she pulled into the driveway of the Granger residence. As they piled out of the car, the door opened and Sirius emerged, a somehow-familiar envelope in his hand.

"Harry, it came!"

Harry grinned and quickly took the parchment envelope. Ripping it open, he read the contents.

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL_ _of_ _WITCHCRAFT_ _and_ _WIZARDRY  
_ _Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall_

_Dear Harry Potter_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely,  
Filius Flitwick  
_ _Deputy Headmaster_

Harry unfolded the second sheet and glanced at it, confirming that it was just the same as the one that Hermione had shown him, and then a familiar hand snagged it out of his grasp.

"Your mother has prepared the return letter, it just needs your signature on it." Sirius said with a smile. "We'll hit Diagon Alley on Wednesday morning so Harry can claim his Lordship, and then we can…"

.

* * *

.

"Hello!" Remus laughed as a veritable avalanche of red-heads poured through the Door into the small Diagon Alley flat. "Rather eager, aren't you?"

"Well, we are getting their things for Hogwarts." Molly smiled at her brood, most of whom tried to look at her as innocently as possible. "I really like the Doors, so much less chance of things going wrong than the Floo."

"Bit more walking, though." Remus said as he rose to his feet. "And here are the rest. Hermione, Dan, Emma, hello."

"Bit crowded in here, isn't it?" Dan grinned, looking round. "Where are Sirius and Harry?"

"Sirius, Harry and Ahsoka are at Gringotts, claiming Harry's Lordship." Remus said with a smile as he walked towards the front door. Opening it, the sounds of Diagon Alley penetrated. "Let's get your money first, then get your things for Hogwarts. Afterwards, Ice cream."

All the kids cheered and followed Remus through the door.

"Come on." Dan chuckled. "Let's go and try to keep the thundering herd under control."

.

"So, I just put this ring on?" Harry asked, looked at the golden ring in the box before him.

"You are the last Potter, as proven by inheritance test, so yes, you just take off the Heir's ring… good. Now, put the Lord's ring on and recite the oath from this parchment." Griphook said. Harry nodded and reached for the ring. As his fingers made contact with it, an odd sensation transmitted itself up his arm.

"It… feels… nice?"

"Put it on, prongslet." Sirius said, his voice showing that he was totally serious. Harry hid a grin at the mental pun and picked up the ring, slowly placing it on his finger. For an instant, the ring was too big, then the band shortened to fit itself onto his hand.

"The oath, Lord Potter." Griphook prompted and Harry lowered his gaze from the ring to the parchment.

"I, Heir Harry James Potter-Tano, born Harry James Potter, do hereby as the last Potter claim the Lordship of Potter House, accepting all the rights and responsibilities thereof. So mote it be, so mote it be, so mote it be!"

On the third repetition, the ring seemed to glow with a white light, then it faded back to being a normal ring once more.

"Congratulations, Lord Potter." Griphook said with a goblin smile, one which anyone who didn't know about Goblin culture would interpret as a scowl. "You are now an emancipated minor, with all the rights, responsibilities and prerogatives of an adult, with a few minor exceptions."

"Such as?" Harry asked and Griphook smirked.

"Well, you can't get married for another three years. It would normally be five, but as head of an Ancient and Most Noble house, the rules are slightly different for you. When you go to Hogwarts, you get your own suite."

"Runic Door." Harry whispered to Ahsoka, who nodded in comprehension. "Sorry. A thought just occurred to me. My apologies for interrupting."

"Not at all." Griphook replied, making a quick mental note to discover just what a Runic Door was and how Gringotts could profit from it. "Where was… ah yes, your own suite. You have full access to all your vaults and can enter contracts. Speaking of which…"

Griphook reached under the desk and pulled out a large accordion-folder almost overflowing with sheets of parchment. "These are marriage contracts. Non-binding, the term Marriage Options may be better, but should you agree to any of them, they will be legally binding."

Harry stared at the folder wide-eyed. "What? All of… but… how many?"

"At the last count, two hundred and seventy-three." Griphook stated and Sirius started to laugh.

"Wow, prongslet, you can start your own harem!"

"That's. Not. Helping." Harry ground out through clenched teeth. Ahsoka shrugged.

"One of the members of the Jedi Council, Ki-Adi-Mundi, has fifteen wives."

Sirius' jaw almost unhinged as he stared at her. "Fi… fi… _fifteen_!"

"He is a Cerean. There are certain gender issues involved." Ahsoka explained. "Cerean birthrates are one male to ten females. You can probably see the problems."

"Fifteen?" Sirius repeated in a shocked tone and Harry smirked at his reaction. "That's… too many. Even _I_ would find it hard to cope with _fifteen_."

"Back to business," Griphook interjected, handing over a scroll of parchment, "Here is an itemized listing of all the items in the Potter vaults, including the items recovered from Godric's Hollow."

"We'll look at them after the meeting." Ahsoka said, placing her hand reassuringly on Harry's shoulder. "I guess that for the next few days, we'll be sending out cancellation notices on the marriage options."

"And noting names in case they try again." Harry stated, frowning. "They don't even _know_ me, yet they…"

"Want to claim _The-Boy-Who-Lived_." Sirius finished. "I know how to do this, I'll write up a basic contract denial letter you can use."

"Thanks, Padfoot." Harry sighed in relief. "I'm too young to think about marriage."

"Ted'll help as well." Sirius added. "I'll have him read through the letters to make sure that there aren't any traps in them. There are several tricks that have been used in the past, Ted'll know all about them."

"Thanks, Padfoot." Harry repeated.

.

"Harry!" Ginny shouted, waving at the approaching trio. Sirius grinned and waved back. Harry, dressed in formal Jedi Robes with the hood down, smiled at her while Ahsoka, her hood raised and veil in place, nodded in greeting.

"Wotcha, mate." Ron said. "Moony got your trunk for you with featherlight charms for ease of moving just like ours. We also went to Madam Malkin's and got our uniforms… except for Hermione…"

"Who is wearing her Jedi Robes as per agreement with Hogwarts." Hermione said in a long-suffering voice.

"And our books, and books and books _and books_ …"

"Nothing wrong with reading ahead."

"And most of our other equipment, but not telescopes for some reason."

"Muggle ones are better." Hermione said and Remus nodded in agreement.

"I ordered some in, they'll arrive at my cottage on Friday."

"And that just leaves our wands." Ron finished. "And then we can have lunch."

"Still thinking with your stomach." Hermione mourned, causing Ginny to giggle.

"While you lot," "Are getting your wands," "We'll be taking a look," "In another store."

"Zonko's." Remus guessed. "I'll go with them, Molly. Ginny?"

"I… I'd rather go to the wand shop." Ginny blushed. "I know I won't get one for another year, but…"

"Of course." Remus said, then he stared at a huge figure that was making its way through the crowds. "What's Hagrid doing here?"

"Invite him to lunch with us once he's done whatever he's doing." Sirius said as he started to shepherd the four youngest children towards Ollivander's Wand shop. "We can pump him for information."

"Right." Remus nodded. "Your wish is my command, Lord Black… oooff."

"Stop that." Sirius said, pulling his elbow back to his side. "You know I dislike all that stuff."

"Just don't take too long." Remus shot back. "Or I'll go all High Formal on you."

Sirius shuddered dramatically. "Come on, everyone. Wands are waiting!"

.

The shop was rather crowded with four children and five adults.

"Ah, hello." A voice said and a white-haired man with odd silver eyes appeared behind the counter. "Sirius Black. First wand Ash with a Griffin feather core, eleven inches, snapped by the ministry. Second wand, Blackthorn with unicorn horn, eleven and a half inches, excellent for defense. And Molly Weasley, Oak with a fairy wing dust, ten and a half inches, good for charms. I assume you are here for the children's wands?"

Hermione stepped forwards and at Sirius' whispered prompting, held out her Hogwarts letter.

"Ah, a first-generation witch, how marvelous!" Ollivander chirped. "Well, let's see what wand chooses…"

Ollivander trailed off as Hermione stretched out her hand and a box rose from a pile. It drifted towards the front of the suddenly-silent shop, coming to rest on the counter.

"Most unusual…" Ollivander mused. "You did not use magic to move it. How…"

"I… could feel it." Hermione said quietly. "It was… calling out to me."

Ollivander opened the box and carefully lifted the pale wand out. "Interesting, Vine wood, with a dragon heartstring core, ten and three-quarter inches. Are you one of those studying the path of the Jedi, by any chance?"

Hermione nodded and Ollivander smiled brightly. "I wondered how you called the wand to you, and I see you have a similar connection with the metal tube on your belt, similar, but different. Well, that wand…"

"Is being paid for by me." Sirius interrupted. "Add it to the total."

"Of course." Ollivander said, handing the wand to Hermione who gasped at the sudden glowing sparkles that formed as she took it. "Now, who's next?"

Ron stepped forwards and Ollivander looked at him closely. "A Weasley, hmmm? Let me see…"

Ollivander bustled round, collecting several boxes. Opening the first, he handed it to Ron, then snatched it away almost at once.

"Nope, not that one, how about… no, that won't do, maybe…"

Ron took the proffered wand and a set of shelves collapsed.

"Hmmm, not that one, but… this one."

Ron inhaled sharply as his fingers settled round the hilt of the wand. "It's… perfect!"

"Willow and unicorn hair, fourteen inches. Look after it well, Mr Weasley. Now, aren't you too young still?"

Ginny blushed. "I… I'm just here to watch."

"Ah, then who else is there? Ah, Mr Potter. Hmmm, another Jedi, I see. Well, go on."

Harry nodded. He could _feel_ a wand calling to him and he closed his eyes, reaching out with his mind. Finding it, he _lifted_ it up, wincing slightly as he heard several boxes fall, then he opened his eyes and _floated_ the box to the counter, where Ollivander opened it with reverent fingers.

"Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches. Curious, very curious…."

Harry looked at the disconcerted wand-seller. "What is?"

"It is curious that this wand should choose you, Mr Potter." Ollivander said as he handed over the wand. "You see, the phoenix that gave a tail feather for this wand gave only one other feather, which was used in one other wand. A wand, Mr Potter, which gave you… your scar…"

Harry stared at him.

"I think we can expect great things from you, Mr Potter. Yes, great things…"

.

"He is _creepy_." Ginny said once they had left the shop with Sirius remaining behind to pay. "I'm not sure I can face getting my wand next year."

"At least we got holsters." Harry shrugged, his left hand stroking the dragonskin holder that held his wand on his belt, close to his lightsaber. "So, lunch?"

"Yeah, I'm starving!" Sirius said from behind them, causing Ron and Ginny to jump in shock. "Come on, it's food time!"

"Has my vote." Ron said as they strode up the alley to where the others were waiting.

"I'll head back home." Ahsoka said, "I want to finish my reading and it's hard for me to eat with my veil on. See you later."

"See you later, mum." Harry said as Ahsoka moved back towards the small flat.

"Hey, Hagrid!" Sirius called, waving to the gigantic man who grinned back at them.

"Hey, Sirius! Good to see yeh agin." Hagrid rumbled and Sirius' grin widened.

"I see you ordered for us, Remus. Let me get the introductions out of the way and we can eat. Everyone, this is Rubeus Hagrid, one of the nicest people you'll ever have the good fortune to encounter. He's the Keeper of the Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts. Hagrid, let me introduce Hermione Granger and her parents, Dan and Emma. Hermione is currently Sponsored by House Black and I am her Magical Guardian. Next we have Ron and Ginny…"

"Weasley." Hagrid laughed. "Aye, yer hair gi'es yer awah. Ah've chased yer brothers outta the Forbidden Forest more tahmes than ah can count. Nice ta meet ya, yeh both coming?"

"I am, Ginny's coming next year." Ron said and Hagrid nodded.

"Well, drop in whenevah yeh want, Ah always have a kettle on fer tea and scones."

"And finally, we have someone you last saw as a baby…" Sirius began and Hagrid's eyes widened.

"'Arry? Arry Potter? Yeh was just a babbie when ah last saw yeh, ah 'erd ye'd scarpered from yer relatives, ah don' blame yeh if harf o' what ah 'erd is true."

"Harry was rescued by Ms Tano, a witch and Jedi." Sirius said, earning a confused look from Hagrid. "The Jedi are… complicated, Ms Tano is a Jedi first and a recently-discovered witch second." Sirius said. "Think of them as… freelance Aurors."

Hagrid nodded slowly and Sirius waved for everyone to be seated.

"Okay, eat up. Hagrid, you looking for a dragon's egg again?"

Hagrid laughed. "Nah, Ah'm doin' a mission fer the 'Eadmistress. Dumbledore and a friend o' his asked fer her help wiv somefin, so I came to collect what they needed. Dumbledore'll be visiting 'Ogwarts a bit this year."

"You'll pardon me for not being one of his greatest fans." Sirius shrugged. "But at least he was willing to admit that he had made a mistake. It's amazing how many wizards and witches refuse to learn when they do something wrong."

"Many use _Obliviate_ to remove the memory of pain if they get injured." Molly said. "I never did that for childbirth, but others have. Mum always used to say that remembering giving birth led to being closer to your kids, and she was right."

"So if they get injured, they get healed and then forget the injury itself as well as what led up to it?" Dan asked, shaking his head. "Wow, so much for learning through experience. You must have some _total_ idiots in your world."

"It's mainly the pure-bloods who do it, and the more traditional ones at that." Sirius shrugged. "Most of them don't care what the outcome is as long as they themselves don't remember any pain."

"Probably means most of them can't do long-term planning either." Emma groused and Sirius laughed.

"It's how Prongs, Moony and myself got away with so much." Sirius grinned, then he slapped his head. "Owls. We need an owl for you, Harry. As for you, Hermione, what do you want?"


	11. To Hogwarts

"I can't believe you managed to get a warded Rune Door installed into a side room on the platform." Molly said as the flood of adults and children emerged into the station. "How d _id_ you do it?"

"Donations to the Auror division and St Mungo's, primarily." Sirius laughed. "I wonder which family's on gate duty this year?"

"I heard it was the Diggory's this year." Molly replied.

"Gate duty?"

"Oh yes." Sirius replied to Hermione's question. "You see, with muggleborn, occasionally they don't know how to get onto the platform, we have a special barrier which acts as a portal, you see. Looks like a brick wall. So each year, one family volunteers to remain out there until just before the train leaves in order to locate and guide any lost students. Usually a slight use of the word _muggle_ and the platform number attracts the errant students attention, while a small charm means that non-magicals completely ignore it."

Hermione nodded slowly. "I see. That's… very clever."

"Rumor says that it was an idea put forwards by a half-blood after the Hogwarts teachers had to spend a full day rounding up strays for the tenth year running." Remus smirked. "Since then, the number of students who miss the train has dropped to almost zero."

Molly nodded as she concentrated on neatening up her sons. Reaching Percy, she pulled out a handkerchief and polished his Prefect badge. "I'm so proud of you, Percy, a Prefect."

"Oh, are you a Prefect, Percy?" Said one of the twins. "You should have said something, we had no idea."

"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once," "Or twice," "A minute," "All summer,"

Percy glared at them, then sighed and shook his head. "Since you met Lord Black and Mr Lupin and started getting lessons from them, you two have only got worse. I'll _need_ my Prefect status just to try and keep you under control. Emphasis on _try_ , no doubt."

Fred and George both grinned as Percy gave his mother a kiss on the cheek and a whispered farewell before collecting his trunk and walking off.

"Now you two, this year you behave yourselves." Molly said firmly, although everyone could see the effort she was putting into not smiling. "If I get _one_ owl telling me you've… you've blown up a toilet or…"

"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet." "Great idea though, thanks, Mum."

"It's not funny." Molly snapped, although the smile crinkling the corners of her mouth gave lie to her sentence. "And look after Ron."

"Don't worry." "Ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."

"Shut up." Ron laughed. "You see what I have to put up with?"

"At least you won't have to share classes with them." Hermione commiserated. "Come on, let's get aboard."

Pausing only to hug Molly and Ginny, the twins scampered off with their trunks. Ron squirmed as Molly kissed him on his cheek, then he hugged Ginny. "You'll be fine. I'll write you once we get there."

"So will I." said Harry, giving Ginny a hug and hiding a smile as she blushed furiously. "We have to go."

"I know." Sighed Ginny. "Can I visit?"

"I'd like that." Harry smiled, then he waved his hand and all three trunks lifted into the air.

"Showoff." Hermione huffed with a smile as she released her parents from a final hug. "Come on, let's find a compartment."

Harry and Ron followed her and they soon located an empty compartment, one which happened to be right next to the one the Twins (and a few of their friends) were using. Hearing Ginny's voice, they opened the window and leaned out just as a whistle sounded.

"Don't worry, Ginny, we'll send you lots of owls." Ron said to his teary sister, trying to cheer her up.

"Well send you a Hogwarts toilet seat!"

" _George!_ "

"Only joking, Mum."

Ginny giggled, wiping away the traces of tears on her cheeks and with a sudden lurch, the train began to move. Molly, Dan, Emma and Sirius all started to wave and Ginny half-ran to keep up with the train before finally stopping and waving until the train went round a curve and they lost sight of her. The trio pulled back into their compartment and half-closed the window.

"She'll be fine." Ron said in a tone of voice that showed he was trying to convince himself of that.

"Once I get the Door installed, we can visit her or she can visit us." Harry said and Ron smiled at the thought.

"That would be nice."

Ron looked surprised at the unexpected comment and Hermione shrugged. "What? She's become the little sister I never had. Besides, she's still got her friend Luna, so it's not like she's going to be all alone."

Ron grinned and self-consciously smoothed down his school robes. "Yeah, you're right. I think I'm just trying to distract myself from where we're going. I hope I make it into Gryffindor. Weasleys have been Gryffindors for generations."

"I'm an almost certain Ravenclaw." Hermione smiled and Ron nodded in agreement, then turned to Harry.

"Not a clue." Harry said with a smile. "But since I'm a Parseltongue, Slytherin might be my destiny."

Ron's face twitched several times as he thought it through, then he slowly nodded. "If anyone can shed Slytherin's reputation, it'll be you. Prefer to see you in Gryffindor, though."

"I don't really mind where I end up." Harry shrugged.

"How do you stay so calm?"

" _There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no death; there is the Force._ " Harry quoted. "I'm a Jedi. We _don't_ let our emotions rule us."

"We have several rules that we follow." Hermione said as she sat down and opened her trunk, extracting a book from it., then she opened the cat-basket beside her trunk and lifted out the orange kitten that she had learned at the shop was called Crookshanks and settled him on her lap. "We use the Force to save lives, not take them. We don't use it for personal gain and if we have to fight, we defend the helpless without hatred, anger or thoughts of revenge."

"Merlin, that's deep." Ron said after a few moments of thought, then he grinned. "Oh, the bigots'll _hate_ you."

Harry shrugged. "Better they try to move against _us_ than against those who cannot defend themselves."

Ron yawned, then leaned into the corner of the bench, pillowing his head on his arm. "Sorry, but I was up late last night packing. Do you guys mind if I take a quick nap?"

"We'll wake you when the food comes." Hermione smiled and Ron closed his eyes.

.

The door opened without knocking and both Harry and Hermione looked up from their books in surprise. In the corner, Ron jolted awake and promptly fell off the bench.

"They say that Harry Potter is on this train." Said the blond boy standing in the door. Behind him were two larger boys, both looking less than stellar in their intelligence. "Is that you?"

"What makes you think it might be?" Harry queried and the boy gave a tight smile.

"Well, _you're_ obviously a Weasley, the red hair is a dead givaway, which means that since you are the only other boy in the compartment, you are probably _The-Boy-Who-Lived_."

"I dislike that name." Harry said. "My birth-mother sacrificed herself to defeat Riddle, yet I am the one who is venerated. That's just wrong."

"Riddle?" Malfoy asked. "I was talking about _He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named_."

"You mean _He-With-The-Made-up-Name_." Harry scoffed. "Tom Marvolo Riddle, son of Merope Gaunt of the overly-inbred Gaunt family and Tom Riddle, a Muggle nobleman that Merope used a love potion on. He just rearranged his full name to spell out the phrase _I am Lord Voldemort_. Pathetic, really."

Both Ron and Malfoy were gaping at him and Harry shrugged. "Check the records, I believe that before he claimed his fake name, he made Head Boy at Hogwarts, so his name is in the trophy cabinet. Play with the letters of his name yourself. Voldemort, the man who declaimed Pureblood superiority, was actually a half-blood with a muggle father and an inbred mother. Kind of funny, isn't it?"

"It certainly explains a lot." Hermione said, not looking up from her book but covertly palming her wand ready for use.

"And _you_ are?" Malfot growled.

"Hermione Granger."

"Ah, the mudblood sponsored by the blood-traitor."

Harry straightened and his voice went cold. "Scion Malfoy, you have insulted both my friends and my godfather. You have shown that your manners need improvement and your ability to recognize your superiors is virtually non-existent. As Lord Potter of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, I, Harry James Potter-Tano, hereby warn you that a repetition of the actions of today will not be tolerated. You will withdraw yourself from my presence. Now."

Only Hermione caught the small hand-movement that Harry made and Malfoy backed away, his face pale.

"You'll regret this, Potter!"

"That's _Lord_ Potter to you, Scion Malfoy." Harry replied and he twitched his hand again, using the Force to close the door firmly.

"…bloody hell." Ron whispered from where he was sitting on the floor, wand in hand. "That was _amazing_! Please teach me how to do that!"

Harry slumped slightly in relief as he looked at Ron. "Thanks for covering my back. Three to one odds are _not_ my favorite kind."

"Any time, mate. Any time."

A knock on the door caught their attention and Harry opened it, ready to dodge if it was Malfoy again. Instead, a lady pushing a cart of food smiled at them. "Anything off the trolley, dears?"

Harry glanced at his friends, then unhooked his money-pouch from his belt. "What do you have available?"

.

"Ummmm." Hermione sighed in contentment as she took a bite out of her last Cauldron Cake. "This tastes _really_ nice. Remind me to buy more to take home when we finish for Christmas."

"Excuse me…" A hesitant voice said from the door, "But have you seen a toad around?"

Harry rose and offered his hand to the nervous boy. "No, but I'll be happy to help you look for it. Harry Potter-Tano, at your service."

"N… Neville Longbottom." Came the reply. "My toad's called Trevor, he keeps escaping."

Harry closed his eyes for a moment, then he turned and walked down the corridor. Reaching the end door, he paused again, then knelt and opened the small storage cupboard, stretching his hand into the dark recess. A surprised _croak_ echoed and Harry withdrew his hand with a toad in it.

"Trevor! How did you do that?"

"I'm a Jedi." Harry said as if it explained everything. "I simply _felt_ for an animal that shared echoes of your aura, and tracked it. Hmmm, it seems that Trevor wants a dark, damp space to sleep."

Neville's perplexed expression grew moreso and Harry decided to explain.

"Due to my training, I'm something of an empath. I can sense emotions, especially when I'm touching the person or animal whose emotions I want to read. From Trevor, I'm sensing tiredness and a desire for a dark, damp place."

"Th… thanks, I'll sort something out for him." Nevelle said and Harry smiled.

"Do you want to join us? We've got plenty of room in our compartment.

"I… I'd like that."

.

"Neville Longbottom, be known to Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. Ron, Hermione, this is Neville."

Ron waved, then quickly swallowed what he was eating. "Sorry. Hi. You joining us?"

As Neville nodded, Hermione frowned in thought. "Longbottom… Longbottom… Ah yes! Neville Longbottom of the Longbottom family, an Ancient and Noble House and long-term allies of the Potters. The males are generally renowned warriors who tend to go into law enforcement. I… oh. I'm sorry, I hope your parents recover. I got carried away."

"Hermione's our walking library." Ron chuckled, then he reflexively dodged a half-hearted slap from her. "Okay, okay, sorry!"

"That's okay." Neville sighed as he sat down. "Renowned warriors, huh? For ages, my family were convinced I was a squib and when I try to do a basic _lumos_ , it barely glows."

"Really?" Hermione asked. "I learned a spell from Moony to measure magical potential. Harry?"

Harry nodded and stood in up as Hermione muttered an incantation and pointed her wand at him. A moment later, a dozen colored rings rose around him.

"The more rings, the stronger the magic." Hermione explained, casting the same spell on Ron. "Nine rings and sparkles showing a possible tenth. I rate ten rings and sparkles. May I?"

"Sure." Shrugged Neville, then his eyes widened as several rings rose up around him. Ron whistled.

"Fourteen rings? _And_ sparkles? Bloody hell!"

"Language, Ron." Hermione said almost absent-mindedly as Neville looked around him in shock. "Neville, that wand looks worn. Where did you get it?"

"It was my dad's." Neville said, looking at it. "Why?"

"I don't think it suits you. It just… _feels_ off." Hermione said. "Harry, since the Longbottoms are an allied house, I think that getting Neville a wand he can actually use would be a good move."

"Gran insisted that I use this wand." Neville said and Hermione shook her head.

"Then she's wrong. If you use a wand that fights you, you risk damaging your magical core and losing a large portion of your magic. You _need_ a new wand. Harry?"

Harry nodded, understanding what Hermione was getting at. "Neville, if we are to continue the historical alliance between our houses, I need to know that you can cover my back as I cover yours. It would be a betrayal of our alliance if I let you use a wand that holds you back. If your gran hasn't got you a properly-matched wand by the weekend, I'll see to it personally."

Neville stared at him. For a long moment, he remained silent, then he managed to whisper a single word.

"Why?"

"Because it's the right thing to do." Harry said firmly.

"Attention all students." A voice echoed. "Arrival in thirty minutes. Please change into school robes and remember to leave your luggage on board, it will be taken to your dormatories. Arrival in thirty minutes."

"I'll step out so that you can get changed, Neville." Hermione said, rising from her seat. Neville looked at her in confusion.

"Um, don't _you_ need to change as well?"

Hermione shook her head. "I'm a Jedi, different rules apply."

"A Jedi?" Neville repeated in confusion. "What's a Jedi?" ****

.

* * *

.

"Firs' years over 'ere!"

Hagrid's voice cut through the dusk and Harry grinned at the sight of the friendly half-giant. Checking that Hermione, Ron and Neville were sticking close to him, Harry moved through the swirling crowd to the group congregating around Hagrid.

"Good evening, Hagrid." Hermione called out and Hagrid grinned at her.

"'Ello Hermione, are the others… ah, 'ello Ron, hi 'Arry."

"Hi, Hagrid." Ron and Harry replied in unison, then they glanced at each other and grinned.

"Any more firs' years? No, good. Come on, the boats are this way."

Holding his lantern high, Hagrid led them down a path to the shore of a lake, where a number of small boats bobbed. "No more than four in a boat, move along."

Wading into the shallow water, Harry held the boat for the other three to climb into, then Hermione _lifted_ him into the boat to avoid risking it overturning. Neville's eyes widened in shock and Ron shrugged.

"You get used to it. It's not magic, it's what makes them Jedi."

"'Ere we go!" Hagrid called and the boats smoothly accelerated away from the bank. "Ye'll see 'Ogwarts in a mo."

The boats rounded a ridge of rock that rose straight from the water and several _ooh_ 's sounded as the illuminated shape of Hogwarts was revealed with its multiple towers and wings.

"'Ogwarts castle, where ye'll learn to be witches an' wizards." Hagrid boomed as they moved closer to the cliff that the castle was perched on. "Enterin' the cave, 'eads down!"

All four ducked as they went through the hanging curtain of vegetation, then the boats came to a stop beside a low stone quay.

"All out, let's go!" Hagrid rumbled, stepping onto the pier and walking down, helping any of the children who looked like they were having trouble. "All out? Good, this way. Come on!"

Hagrid led them up the long, winding tunnel until they finally emerged in front of the castle. Walking up to door, Hagrid raised his fist and hit the door three times. A moment passed, then the door opened and a familiar figure stepped out.

"Professor Flitwick!" Hermione whispered as Flitwick looked up at the towering groundskeeper.

"The firs'-years, Professor Flitwick." Hagrid rumbled and the diminutive professor nodded.

"Thank-you, Hagrid. I'll take them from here."

Matching actions to words, Flitwick pulled out a wand from his sleeve and waved it, causing the doors to fully open.

"Come along now." He squeaked as he moved back into the castle, leading them across the stone floor of the torch-lit entrance hall and into a small chamber. Climbing onto a stool, he looked at the crowd before him.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The banquet will begin after you are sorted into your houses. This is an important ceremony, once you are sorted, your house will be there for you, as you will be there for it, almost like family. You will have lessons with your house, share dormitories with your house-mates and spend much of your spare time in your house's common room.  
"As most of you know, there are four Houses, each with its own noble history and famous alumni. The houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, as named after the four Founders of Hogwarts. Your triumphs will gain points for your House while any rule-breaking will cost points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points wins the School Cup.  
"The ceremony will begin soon, I will return to fetch you for it. In the meantime, please ensure that you are presentable."

Flitwick climbed down from the stool and vanished out of the door. A moment later, Malfoy's voice rose.

"I see the mudblood couldn't even get a proper uniform. What are _those_ rags supposed to be?"

"The same as mine." Harry said, attracting the attention of almost everyone in the room. "We wear the robes of the Jedi Order, an organisation with a history over three-thousand years old, an organisation which stands for justice and truth. Hermione and myself are currently the only two Jedi here, although we hope that others may have the potential to join us."

"Well said." Came Flitwick's voice and Malfoy paled. "Since Harry Potter and Hermione Granger are both Jedi Padawans, they have permission to wear the robes of their Order instead of school robes. The ceremony is waiting, this way."

The new students followed the short professor out of the room and into the main hall. Hermione smiled as she looked up at the apparently-invisible ceiling.

"I read that the ceiling shows the weather outside and was charmed that way by Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw." She whispered. "It's even more amazing than I thought it would be."

As she spoke, Flitwick seemed to vanish, then he reappeared with a three-legged stool and an old fabric hat. Placing the stool on the ground, he positioned the hat on it, then stepped back as the hall fell silent. A moment later, the hat twitched, then a rip opened near the brim and it began to sing.

" _Oh you may not think I'm pretty, but don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find a smarter hat than me.  
You can keep your bowlers black, your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat and I can cap them all.  
There's nothing hidden in your head the Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you where you ought to be.  
You might belong in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry set Gryffindors apart;  
You might belong in Hufflepuff,where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil;  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning, will always find their kind;  
Or perhaps in Slytherin you'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folks use any means to achieve their ends.  
So put me on! Don't be afraid! And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none) for I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The hat stopped singing and bowed in the direction of the flanking tables as applause rolled across the hall. As it died down, Flitwick opened a scroll.

"When I call your name, please sit on the stool and put the Sorting Hat on. Abbot, Hannah!"

The first girl stepped forwards and eagerly picked up the Hat. Sitting down, she donned it, ignoring the fact that it fell down over her eyes. A long moment passed, then the Hat opened its mouth.

_"HUFFLEPUFF!"_

The rightmost table erupted in cheers as Hannah removed the hat and placed it back on the stool before making her way to the table in question.

"Bones, Susan!"

_"HUFFLEPUFF!"_

"Boot, Terry!"

_"RAVENCLAW!"_

This time, it was the middle-left table that erupted in cheers and Terry made his way to them.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy!"

_"RAVENCLAW!"_

"Brown, Lavender!"

_"GRYFFINDOR!"_

The far-left table was the source of the cheering which left the middle-right table as being Slytherin. Harry's deduction was proven right as the next student, Millicent Bulstrode, strutted to the table in question and claimed a place.

"I feel sorry for you." Hermione whispered to Ron after a few more names had been called.

"Why?"

"They're doing it in alphabetical order."

Ron blinked in confusion, then his eyes widened in realization and he whispered something under his breath that would have caused Hermione to scold him had her name not been called at that instant. Ignoring the sudden whispers, she walked forwards, then gave Flitwick a meaningful look which he instantly picked up on.

"As befits her status as a Padawan in the Jedi Order, Miss Granger is required to wear Jedi Robes rather than school robes. In addition, she will be continuing her training in the ways of the Jedi."

The whispers took on a different note as Hermione donned the hat.

' _So what do we have here?'_ a voice sounded in her head. _'Already training in magic, and… the Force? Not something I've ever_ knowingly _come across before, but now that I know what to look for, I'll certainly keep an eye out for it and recommend that they get training in using it. Such bravery, such intelligence and so much loyalty… which House would you place yourself in, hmmmm? Ah, I see, then I bid you welcome to…'_

"RAVENCLAW!"

Hermione rose and returned the Hat to the stool. Pausing only long enough to give the Hat a respectful bow, she moved to where her new house-mates were watching her with undisguised curiosity.

"As I expected." Ron said with a sad smile. "Hell, it won't be the same without her around."

"We can still study with her." Harry pointed out. "There's the library, or a place this size _has_ to have an unused classroom or two that can be used as a study room. And don't forget the weekends."

Ron nodded, a relieved expression on his face.

_"HUFFLEPUFF!"_

Harry and Ron turned back in time to see Neville rise from the stool and start moving towards the Hufflepuff table before remembering that he was still wearing the Hat.

"It'll be a true inter-house study group." Harry said quietly and Ron nodded.

"Yeah, I like Neville. He's nice. Comes from a family almost as famous as the Potters. And his magical strength… I almost expected him to be in Gryffindor."

"Hufflepuff is about loyalty and hard work." Harry pointed out and Ron nodded.

"True, very true. "Do you think you'll be in…"

_"SLYTHERIN!"_

Both boys looked across to see Draco smirking as he strutted away from the Hat.

"No surprise there." Ron sighed. "The Malfoys have been Slytherin for generations, and his dad was one of _You-know-who_ 's primary supporters, although he escaped punishment after claiming he had been _Imperiused_ into obeying."

"Interesting." Harry said slowly. "Ron, if we end up in separate houses, then we meet by the front door at ten on Saturday to discuss plans. I'll try to get Neville there as well, I'll have spoken to Hermione before that, no matter what House I'm in. If all else fails, I'll send him a message via owl."

"What did you end up naming your owl, anyway?"

"Fay." Harry said. "Jedi Master Fay died early in the Clone Wars, but she had served in the Jedi Order for centuries. She never needed to draw her Lightsaber, and many wondered if she even had one. She was renowned for her compassion, wisdom and insight."

"Wow." Ron breathed, then he blinked as a name was called.

"Potter-Tano, Harry."

Harry clapped Ron on his shoulder, then strode towards the stool where the Hat waited. Once again, the hall was filled with people whispering, but this time, they were louder and Harry could make out some of the comments.

"…robes like the Granger girl, is he another Jedi…" "…the _Boy-who-lived_ , I hope he's a…" "…puffed-up arrogant half-blood."

Harry spared a quelling glance at Draco, who had been the origin of the last comment, then he picked up the Hat and sat on the stool. Lifting the Hat up, he lowered it over his head.

' _Well, well, well. Another Jedi, and one who is closer to Knighthood. I see that your bravery is exceptional, you can be cunning when you need to be but you keep your ambition under strict control… your mind is well-organised and you are loyal to those you deem worthy. I could easily place you in any of the Houses, but I do not think Slytherin would suit you, there would be too much conflict. Ah, what's this? Your mother is continuing to teach you even though you are at Hogwarts and you hope to teach others some day? Well, that settles it, young Jedi, you belong in…'_

"RAVENCLAW!"

Harry lifted the Hat off his head and returned it to the stool. Giving it a bow, he turned and moved over to sit beside Hermione, who gave him a worried look.

"Neville?"

"If all else fails, Fay."

Hermione nodded as the others at the table exchanged glances of confusion, then one of them spoke.

"Erm, was that a Jedi thing just then?"

.

"Weasley, Ronald!"

_"GRYFFINDOR!"_

"Wow, one and a half seconds." Hermione whispered as Ron moved over to sit near, but not beside, his older brothers.

"Zabini, Blaize!"

_"SLYTHERIN!"_

As the final student walked to his table, Flitwick picked up the Hat and stool, placing them behind the staff table before taking his seat. As the hall quietened, McGonagall stood up.

"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts. I know that you are all eager to eat, but before that, a few announcements.

"First, the south-east tower has been deemed damaged and dangerous and has been sealed off. For your own continued well-being, please do not try to gain entry into the tower as collapsing floors can be hazardous to your health.

"Secondly, students are reminded that the Forbidden Forest is just that. If you have something that requires you to enter the Forest, you are to go in _only_ with a member of staff.

"Third, Quidditch trials will be held in the second week for all second-years and above who are interested. Those who wish to try out should contact Madam Hooch.

"Fourth, students are reminded that using magic in the hallways is frowned upon and may result in points being deducted, or detentions if the results are serious enough.

"Finally, dig in!"

A cheer rose as the students realized that as McGonagall had been speaking, food had appeared on the table. As Harry and Hermione filled their plates, one of the other first-year students, Padma Patil, leaned forwards, eyes ablaze with curiosity.

"So tell me, what are Jedi?"


	12. Hogwarts

The Ravenclaw students followed the prefects Penelope Clearwater and Robert Hilliard out of the main hall. As they walked through the halls, Robert spoke.

"As you all know, Hogwarts was founded by Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Slazar Slytherin. Yes, the names alliterate, no-one has yet worked out if it was a co-incidence, a spur to them developing their abilities or the result of them changing their names. The four houses follow in the footsteps of the founders, we at Ravenclaw prize knowledge and intellect above all other things."

"As students in Ravenclaw," Penelope took over, "We expect you to do your best. However, if you need help, don't be ashamed to ask. After all, the only stupid question is one that isn't asked."

"There are no stupid questions." Robert interjected, "But _do_ try to avoid being an inquisitive idiot."

Penelope glared at him for a moment. "Since Ravenclaw tends to get the highest proportion of Muggle-borns and half-bloods who live primarily in the muggle world, we run extra in-house courses allowing you to take muggle subjects and even take muggle exams. You can sign up for them in the common room, and here is the entrance. To gain entry, you need to answer a question or riddle. If you can't answer, you need to wait for someone who can to come through."

As if on cue, the stone raven above the door opened its beak and spoke in a suprisingly feminine voice.

"What is yours, but your friend uses more than you do?"

Penelope blinked and swore under her breath, causing Herry and Hermione to exchange amused grins.

"Errmmm. Anyone have any ideas?" Robert asked after a long moment.

"Your name." Hermione said.

"Welcome to Ravenclaw House." The Raven responded as the wooden door swung open. "Remember, Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure."

"But if not applied, knowledge soon will have died." Hermione countered and the Raven turned its head slightly to look at her, its eyes glowing briefly. Hermione raised her hand to her forehead as she felt _something_ access her mind.

"You understand truly. The door is always open for you."

"What?" Robert gasped. "Only one other person is known to have gained such an honor! And that was…"

"Me." Came a voice from behind them. "If everyone will enter, please?"

The crowd funnelled through the door and quickly assembled, the shorter students congregating at the front, facing a small podium. Professor Flitwick walked to the podium and climbed onto it, placing him high enough that everyone could see him.

"Is everyone here? Good. Welcome to Ravenclaw. As you all should know, I am Professor Filius Flitwick, Charms teacher, dueling expert and deputy headmaster of Hogwarts. I am also your Head of House.

"Here in Ravenclaw, we prize the acquisition of knowledge. We may be derided as bookworms, but we are scholars who can find any answer, except maybe that of Life, the Universe and everything."

"Forty-two!" chorused several students and Flitwick grinned as several other students looked round in total confusion.

"Yes, I have read the works of Douglas Adams myself as well. Anyway, unlike the other Houses, we in Ravenclaw do not have dormitories, but instead shared rooms, two to a room. However, since Lord Potter will be getting one of the attached Lord's Suites, that means that one of the new male students will be getting a room to himself. After this meeting concludes, I shall give them a quick general-knowledge quiz to see who earns their own room. As for the female students, unless any of them have any preferences, lots shall be drawn to see who shares with whom."

"I get Hermione!" Padme quickly piped up, earning several curious stares. "What?"

.

Harry had just finished unpacking when a knock on his door alerted him to a visitor. Opening it, he nodded at Hermione.

"Settled in?"

"Yes, and Padme isn't all that bad." Hermione replied, walking over to one of the chairs in the main room and sitting down. "She's rather studious, but interested in fashion as well. She was _very_ interested in my robes."

Harry nodded. "She has a sister in Gryffindor, yes? Parvati?"

"She does." Hermione confirmed, then she tilted her head slightly. "Why?"

"Just in case we need an alternate way of passing a message to Ron." Harry explained, then he frowned. "I'm still not sure how to contact Neville, though… Tonks! She's a Prefect… I'll ask her to keep an eye out for him, although that'll only work for this year."

Hermione nodded, then looked round.

"When are you getting your Door installed?"

"It's arriving tomorrow." Harry shrugged. "We had it disguised as a wardrobe, even to the point of having several rails installed to hang coats from… what?"

"Just wondering if… it'll lead to a land… with a lion and a witch." Hermione snickered. Harry looked at her blankly and Hermione pulled herself back under control. "Sorry, a magical wardrobe that leads to a place of magic? Sounds like the book _The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe_. I have a copy of it back home, along with the others in the series. I'll lend them to you once we get the Door installed."

"I'd like that." Harry said, then he grinned. "To change the subject, tomorrow at breakfast should prove quite interesting."

Hermione raised an eyebrow.

.

* * *

.

The journey to the Great Hall was relatively easy, although Harry noted that several staircases had moved during the night. Following Penelope, they filed into the Hall and moved to join the early risers who were already sat there. As the food appeared, a massed noise of beating wings caught their attention and they looked up to see a large number of owls fly in. One owl, almost pure white, swooped down and landed on Harry's shoulder.

"Hello, Fay." He smiled. "Good hunting?"

A couple of barking hoots sounded and Harry nodded as he reached out without looking and grabbed a falling paper. "I know, girl, but the Daily Prophet sends out its own owls. Here, can you take this note to Neville Longbottom and this one to cousin Tonks?"

Fay reached out with one foot and gently took the folded notes, then spread her wings and leapt into the air. Several Ravenclaws watched her as she flew over to where Neville was and landed in front of him, holding out the note.

A couple of gasps distracted him and Harry opened up the Daily prophet.

"Ah, I see my godfather managed to spread the news."

Hermione gave him an odd look, then grabbed her own copy of the paper.

**_The truth of You-Know-Who_ **

_For several decades, the wizarding world has feared He-who-must-not-be-named, self-proclaimed Dark Lord and apparent Pureblood Supremacist. Followed by the criminals known as Death Eaters (except of course for the poor souls Imperioused into obeying him), he was responsible for killing a large number of witches and wizards, ending several noble family lines.  
_ _But who was he, and where did he come from?  
_ _Information given to the Daily Prophet and independently verified by our top researchers has provided the answers, and the answers are shocking!  
_ _The Dark Lord, the one who claimed to be standing for the superiority of Purebloods and the subjugation of Mugglekind, is actually a Half-blood, with a Muggle father!_

_Born as Tom Marvolo Riddle on the 31_ _st_ _December 1926 to the Muggle noble Tom Riddle and the witch Merope Gaunt who had entrapped him with potions and died soon after her son was born, Tom was raised in a Muggle orphanage. At the age of eleven, Tom was granted entry into Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he was sorted into Slytherin under the gaze of the then-Head of House, Horace Slughorn.  
_ _Crafty and studious, Tom made very few friends, but was amongst the top of his classes and gained a great deal of respect. Gaining Outstandings in every exam he took, he was promoted to Prefect and then, during his final year, Head Boy. His year-mates generally remember him as a quiet, polite boy, although some stories hinted at the dark wizard he would become.  
_ _After leaving Hogwarts, Tom Riddle applied for the position of Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, but was denied as he was too young. Undeterred, he sought out instruction in the Dark Arts and upon returning, sought the position of Professor once more. However, once again, his application was denied.  
_ _Seeking power, Tom Marvolo Riddle began to build a cadre of dark Wizards to support him, naming them Death Eaters. To lead them, he created a new identity for himself, one made using the art of Muggle Anagrams._

TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE -/- * ** **** *********  
*OM MARVOLO RIDDLE -/- * ** **** ********T  
**M MARVOLO RIDDLE -/- * ** *O** ********T  
*** MARVOLO RIDDLE -/- * *M *O** ********T  
*** *ARVOLO RIDDLE -/- * *M *O** *****M**T  
*** **RVOLO RIDDLE -/- * AM *O** *****M**T  
*** ***VOLO RIDDLE -/- * AM *OR* *****M**T  
*** ****OLO RIDDLE -/- * AM *OR* V****M**T  
*** *****LO RIDDLE -/- * AM *OR* VO***M**T  
*** ******O RIDDLE -/- * AM LOR* VO***M**T  
*** ******* RIDDLE -/- * AM LOR* VO***MO*T  
*** ******* *IDDLE -/- * AM LOR* VO***MORT  
*** ******* **DDLE -/- I AM LOR* VO***MORT  
*** ******* ***DLE -/- I AM LORD VO***MORT  
*** ******* ****LE -/- I AM LORD VO*D*MORT  
*** ******* *****E -/-I AM LORD VOLD*MORT  
*** ******* ****** -/- I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

_As you can see, the name that has caused witches and wizards to cower in fear is nothing more than a changing of the order of the letters in his original name!  
_ _We at the Prophet cannot respect or fear one who has gone to such lengths to hide and deny his own past, especially one whohas warped and twisted society like he has. Although this revelation will no doubt be highly embarrasing to those who believe that those of pure blood are fated to rule over others, we at the Prophet must show the rot at the heart of the movement, a malign cancer which needs to be removed._

_The life in full of Tom Marvolo Riddle, Half-blood – pages 2 – 7  
_ _The Death of Tom Marvolo Riddle – Page 8  
_ _Death Eaters, Pureblood Patriots or Pathetic Pawns? – Page 9  
_ _Are Purebloods dying out? An essay on the need for more children by Hermione Granger (spons. Black) – Pages 10 and 11_

"That essay is going to cause problems for you." Harry said and Hermione shrugged.

"Maybe, but I listed every book, record archive and public announcement I used. Anyone who tries to follow my research in an attempt to disprove my thesis will end up coming to the same conclusion themselves. They need at least two children per family to keep stable, most just have a son and leave it at that. And Purebloods seem to be getting weaker, too."

"All of them?" Harry grinned and Hermione shook her head.

"I meant on average, after all, Neville's stronger than you. But you're a Jedi. Hmmm, I wonder…"

Hermione broke off and mumbled to herself for a few moments, then she sighed.

"No way of testing, but I think that if you can use the Force, it takes up some of the potential for Magic, and maybe vice-versa. Since there's only three Jedi on Earth, I can't run any tests without a larger test group."

"Maybe we'll find more Jedi candidates." Harry shrugged as several shouts and arguments broke out at the Slytherin table while the Gryffindor table took advantage to laugh and throw insults. "We'll discuss this later, alright?"

"They did nice charm work on the anagram part." Hermione noted, watching approvingly as the letters switched back and forth between the two names.

"Indeed they did." Flitwick said from behind them. "By the way, here are your schedules."

Harry and Hermione both accepted the proffered sheets and looked at them.

_**Lesson Timetables** _

_Morning (9:00-10:30) (10:45-12:15)/ Afternoon (1:30-3:00) (3:15-4:45)/ Evening (6:00-7:30)/ Night (11:00-12:30)- Astronomy only_

_Shared Lessons:_ _**G** _ _ryffindor,_ _**H** _ _ufflepuff,_ _**S** _ _lytherin_

_**Monday  
** _ _(History of Magic)s (Free) / (Potions)h (Potions)h / (Free)_

_**Tuesday  
** _ _(Transfiguration)g (Herbology)s / (Free) (Defence/Dark)h / (Charms)g_

_**Wednesday  
** _ _(Transfiguration)h (Free) /_ _**(Special) (Special)** _ _/ (Charms)s_

_**Thursday  
** _ _(Free) (Herbology)g / (Potions)s (Potions)s / (Free) / (Astronomy)h_

_**Friday  
** _ _(Free)(Transfiguration)s / (Defence/Dark)g (Free) / (Free)_

_**Saturday & Sunday  
** _ _(Optional Studies/External lessons for Jedi)_

_**(Special)  
** _ _Customs of the Wizarding World (for Muggle-raised)  
_ _Customs of the Muggle World (for Wizarding-raised)  
_ _For those raised in both worlds, attendance is not compulsory as long as the relevant tests are passed._

"They've put quite a bit of thought into this." Hermione noted. "I see we start with History of Magic."

"Didn't Sirius say that it used to be taught by a ghost?" Harry mused. Hermione blinked, then looked at her timetable again.

"I think that we need to get up early to do our morning katas. Looks like we're seeing your mother on Saturdays for our continued lessons."

"Agreed." Harry smiled, then he frowned. "But how are we getting there?"

"A warded Rune Door is being placed in one of the rooms just off the entry hall." Flitwick said, having paused on his way back to the staff table. "Monitoring charms are active in that room, so you are only allowed to use it with permission from a staff member such as myself."

"Thank you, sir." Harry smiled.

"Glad to help." Flitwick smiled. "Now, I think you need to grab your things, you have History of Magic with the Slytherins."

As they rose, Harry looked up and reached out, snagging a falling letter. Opening it, he smiled, then pulled out a pen and notebook. Writing a quick note, he held it up and the tattered-looking owl that had dropped the letter took the paper, flying off with it. Hermione gave him a curious look.

"Hagrid." Harry said. "He's inviting me and my friends over for tea on Friday. I thought Ron and Neville would like to come. Will you come as well?"

Hermione nodded. "I like Hagrid, his gentleness just… it feels like a warming fire."

Harry nodded.

.

* * *

.

The classroom went quiet as a door opened and a short wizard wearing a purple robe and top hat walked in. Looking round, he smiled broadly.

"Ah, a new class ready to learn. I am Professor Dedelus Diggle and I am your tutor for History of Magic. I know you have heard about the previous teacher, he is still here, but now he teaches to an empty classroom, I don't think he's even noticed the change.  
"Anyway, Magic is something that most of us take for granted, our society is built around it. We have links with other magical species such as the Goblins, the Centaurs, the Veela… ah, the Veela, fond memories. Where was I? Ah yes. Magic holds our society together, how we use it defines us to a great degree. Our traditions are rooted in the use of magic. But how did our world come to be? Why are we separate from the Muggle world? Without knowing our past, we can never truly hope to conquer the future, you need to know where you have been in order to know where you are going.  
"Now please get out your textbooks if you haven't already done so while I call the register…"

.

"…and since the lesson is about to end, so shall we, for now." Diggle said, waving his wand and causing the animated picture on the blackboard to vanish. "When we meet again, we shall continue to learn about Myrddin Emrys and his Muggle friend Arthur Pendragon. Your homework is to read the next chapter of the book and to come up with three questions to ask about it next lesson. Not all questions may be used and I expect many of you to come up with the same questions, but do your best. Dismissed!"

Diggle's last word coincided perfectly with the bell and the students quickly packed their bags and filed out.

"Mr Potter?"

Harry paused at Dedalus' voice, then he stepped out of the way of the other students.

"Yes, professor?"

"I… I would like to apologize to you." Dedalus said, his normal cheeriness in abeyance. "I believed the official story that you had been placed somewhere safe after the death of the Dark Lord. When news of what had actually happened to you broke… I was one of the ones who helped to search for you. And not just because I was a member of the Order of the Phoenix, either."

Harry blinked, mentally filing the name away for further reference.

"I know you'll probably hear this too many times, but I want to apologize." Diggle continued. "I assumed that everything was fine, right until the day that the news broke. Since then, I've been looking back at all the assumptions I've made and checking to see if they were valid. Too many weren't."

Harry nodded and, trusting his instincts, placed a reassuring hand on Diggle's shoulder.

"Professor, I cannot forgive you… for I see nothing that needs forgiveness. I thank you for searching for me after I was rescued from where I was left."

Diggle smiled, then he dashed his hand across his eyes to rid himself of the tears that were threatening to slide down his cheeks.

"Thank you."

"Just one thing, though." Harry added. "Please don't refer to me as The-boy-who-lived or anything like that, it's Harry. Just Harry."

"Thank you… Harry."

.

History of Magic set the tone for most of the week with a few exceptions. The main exception was Defense Against the Dark Arts.

.

"How can that man teach _anything_?" Hermione huffed as they left the room. "If he ever came face-to-face with a werewolf or vampire, he'd probably faint, and that stutter of his! Maybe he should have stayed as teacher of Muggle Studies. Harry, what's that look for?"

"He felt… _wrong_." Harry said slowly. "He just felt… _off_ somehow."

Hermione opened her muth to respond, then paused as her eyes unfocused. "I… didn't notice. Sorry. Any ideas about what to it could mean?"

"Not at this time." Harry said with a shrug. "Next lesson, I'll try to open my senses a bit more."

"That would probably be a good idea." Hermione said slowly. "I'll do the same."

.

"Well, looks like we don't have to attend the classes on customs." Harry said with a smile as they left the room. "Between Remus, Sirius, the Weasleys and your parents, we know more than enough."

"Yeah." Ron smiled. "Remind me to write a thank-you to your parents, Hermione."

"I will." Hermione laughed. "Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"Write a thank-you letter to my parents."

Ron blinked, then joined in the laughter. When they recovered, Ron looked at his friends.

"I'm going to head back to the Gryffindor common room to put my stuff away. You want to come? I'll show you around."

"Won't you get into trouble?" Harry asked and Ron shook his head.

"If it was anyone else, yeah, I probably would, but the two of you? Some of us Gryffs saw your sparring yesterday evening, there was a crowd at the window watching you. I think that they'll be wanting to become Jedi."

Harry and Hermione swapped glances before Harry answered. "I'll be happy to check for Force potential, but I can't promise anything."

Ron nodded. "I know. Ahsoka did say that it was very rare in most of the species that she had met, so I'd be surprised if more than one or two of my house have it."

Harry shrugged slightly. "We'll see. Any I'm not sure about can be checked by mom."

"Once you're packed away, would you like to see the Ravenclaw room?" Hermione said, earning a curious look.

"Hermione has special privileges." Harry smirked. "She understands the nature of wisdom so well that she doesn't need to go through the normal rigmarole, the door just opens for her."

Ron'e eyebrows shot up. "Wow. Just… wow."

.

"Wow…" Ron said as he turned round on the spot, looking at the pale-walled room with the attached library. "This place is amazing, it's as good as Gryffindor, just… different."

"Most of us 'claws are bookworms, so having our own library just makes sense." Hermione said as she reappeared from the girl's section of the tower. "Have you seen Harry's suite yet?"

"You got a suite?" Ron gasped and Harry nodded.

"I am Lord Potter and as such, I was able to claim one." He explained. "Come and see."

Ron followed Harry through the door and into a smaller version of the common room. As Hermione closed the door behind them, a red-headed missile impacted him.

"Ron! I missed you!"

"Ginny?" Ron gasped as his sister grinned up at him. "But… how?"

"Harry's wardrobe." Ginny giggled, then she stepped back and glowered at him. "You haven't sent me a letter yet!"

"But… you… here… letter…what?"

Ginny giggled as Ron struggled to reboot his brain, then towed him through to the bedroom.

"I came in through there." She said, dashing across the bedroom to a large, ornate freestanding wardrobe which was open, revealing several sets of hanging robes. "It's a Rune Door. Hermione filled me in on how you did. Gryffindor, well done!"

"Thanks."

"I still haven't decided where I'll go." Ginny continued. "Sure, we Weasleys have been Gryffs for generations, but Harr- erm, _Hermione_ 's in Ravenclaw."

Hermione's eyebrows shot up at Ginny's self-correction and Ginny glanced at her before blushing furiously.

"Ginny," Ron said after a moment, "I'm afraid I don't quite see you as the Ravenclaw type."

Ginny leapt at Ron, grabbing him be the front of his robes and dragging him to his knees as she glared at him.

"And. _Why_. Not?"

"Your tendency towards threatened violence, perhaps?" Harry chimed in helpfully. Ginny shot him a betrayed look, then glared at Hermione, who was failing to control her giggles.

.

* * *

.

From the window in the Headmistress' Office, two figures watched the pair of students sparring with their glowing blades. As one of the students somersaulted out of the way of a lightning-fast attack, the older of the two watchers took a sip of his tea before speaking.

"I believe that I begin to see why you wished me to be here, Minerva."

"Aye, Albus." Minerva replied softly. "Just look at the bairns, already spoken of highly by their teachers and yet learning a skill that most here cannot hope to."

"This… _Force_ of theirs." Albus said with a sad smile. "For years, I was convinced that The Power He Knows Not was love, for Riddle had no love of anyone else within him, but this… I wonder if Lily could have been capable of becoming a.. what was it… ah yes, _Jedi Knight_?"

Minerva shrugged. "No way of telling, but she always seemed to _know_ when something was about to happen. I always put it down to good insticts. Would you like to go out there and meet young Harry?"

Albus shook his head, sadness briefly dominating his expression. "No, I will not interrupt him. I almost ruined his life before, I will not risk doing so again. I refused to believe that Lily's sister could have turned out like she did, and my willful blindness almost cost young Harry his chance at happiness. No, I will not seek him out, but I shall support him, and the witch who rescued him, as best as I can."

The duo stood in silence for several minutes as they watched the sparring match on the grounds far below, a match that seemed almost dance-like as the lightsabers wove their patterns through the brightening morning in the shadow of the castle.

"I did some research since you contacted me a month ago," Albus said suddenly, "And I could not find _any_ references to the Jedi in any of the libraries to which I have access. Not even in Grindlewald's, and he was almost paranoid when it came to possible threats to his plans, which the Jedi would have been. Yet they apparently have a history going back over three millennia."

"I hadn't heard of them either, until Filius came back from giving the letter to Miss Granger." Minerva said softly. "On Saturday, I am escorting the two of them to their Jedi lessons. I hope to have at least some of my questions answered there."

Albus nodded and finished his cup of tea. "I wish I had answers for you, but even my Legilimency is of no avail. Sirius' Occlumency shields are too strong to be easily bypassed, while only a suicidal fool seeks to enter the mind of a werewolf such as Remus. I may be many things, I have been a fool for too long, but I believe that I am not suicidal."

Minerva put down her empty teacup, her gaze never leaving the duo. "I don't believe you were a fool, Albus. Mistaken, aye, complacent, maybe, but a fool…"

"No, Minerva." Albus sighed. "I _was_ a fool. I grew to believe the view that others had of me, that I was the Leader of the Light and the Wisest Wizard since Merlin. I grew arrogant, I grew proud and I grew foolish. I am only grateful that my foolishness did not cost more than the already-heavy price it has exacted."

Minerva started to reply, then froze, leaning forwards ito try and get a better view.

"What is it, Minerva?"

"Who are those bairns running… Three Weasleys and another… is that Neville Longbottom?"

.

Ron collapsed to his knees, his brothers standing close by, breathing heavily. Nearby, Neville was lying on the ground, almost gasping for air.

"Well, that was," "A nice little jog," "Wasn't it?"

Ron glared at his older siblings, then half-rolled to the ground before lifting his left arm and glancing at the muggle-made self-winding wristwatch that adorned his wrist. "Heh, we cut off two full minutes from our run."

"Not. Sure. I. Can. Move." Neville moaned as footsteps announced the arrival of their friends.

"Good morning." Hermione said and Ron glanced at her. "You looked like you were making progress."

"Hell yeah." Ron grinned. "Two minutes less than yesterday."

"Tired." Neville moaned and Harry chuckled.

"Well then, let me help."

Neville blinked as his supine form rose into the air and a minute later Ron found himself floating as well.

"Hey!"

"Oh, hush." Hermione smiled. "You're training hard in order to to help us, so the least we can do is help you a bit."

"When we get to the castle, I'm walking." Ron stated, relaxing in the Force grip. Hermione nodded and the group started moving towards the school.

"Remind me again why we're doing this?" Neville sighed.

"It's because," "Although we can't become Jedi," "We can become Rangers," "And fight alongside," "Our Jedi friends."

Neville rolled his head to look at Ron.

"Ahsoka Tano told us stories of when she was a Jedi Padawan." Ron said. "In the war that she took part in, the Jedi had several groups helping them in addition to the Grand Army, groups such as the Freedom's Sons, the Antarian Rangers and the Lok Revenants. Although many Jedi preferred to work alone, some of them prized their associations with these groups and often led them into battle or asked for their help with investigations…"

.

* * *

.

Ginny lay on her back, gasping for breath, then a familiar blond appeared in her vision.

"Hello Ginny, what are you doing on the ground like that?"

Ginny blinked, then tried to slap herself on the forehead for forgetting that her friend was visiting that day, only to barely manage to lift her arm before giving up.

"Luna… Hi…"

"Here."

Luna's eyes widened as Ahsoka helped Ginny to sit up so that she could drink from the cup.

"Are you a crumple-horned Snorkack?"

Ginny managed to stay sat up as Ahsoka turned to Luna.

"Not… that I'm aware of. My name is Ahsoka Tano, I'm a Togruta."

"Luna Lovegood." Luna said. "Human. Pleased to meet you. Are those real?"

Ahsoka laughed softly as Luna stretched out a hand to lightly run her fingers along one of Ahsoka's horns, then her laughter died as she blinked in shock.

"…what?"

"May I?"

Luna nodded uncertainly and Ahsoka placed her hands on either side of Luna's head, staring deeply into her eyes. A long moment passed, then Ahsoka shook her head in disbelief.

"You have the highest amount of Force Potential I've come across yet."

Ginny gasped. "Luna's a Jedi?"

Luna blinked "What's a Jedi?"


	13. A Bad Feeling...

Filius looked round with interest as they stepped out of the small room into which the Rune Door had led them. Pausing, he turned round to see where he had emerged from and let out a delighted laugh.

"A small tower for Hogwarts, a shop-front for Diagon Alley, a railway platform and carriage for platform nine and three quarters, a Goblin-guarded vault for Gringotts and I assume that the small cottage is for Hogsmead. But what about _that_ door? I've never seen anything like that before"

"That one connects to St Mungo's." Hermione replied. "It's an old ambulance that had the inside stripped out and replaced with a Rune Door."

"Am-beu-lance?" Flitwick asked, enunciating the word carefully.

"Muggle vehicle that takes the wounded to where they can get treatment." Harry explained.

"Harry!"

Harry turned towards the joyful shout and the red-haired missile tackle-hugged him, causing him to stagger back a few paces.

"Oooof! Hi, Ginny. What are you doing here?"

"I was doing some studying by the fish pond when I heard you." Ginny smiled as she snuggled against him. "Mum doesn't mind, this place is even safer than the Burrow."

Filius raised a querying eyebrow and Hermione started to explain.

"Mr Lupin and Curse-breaker Bill Weasley personally warded the entire warehouse with the strongest wards they could, then reinforced the security with mundane sensors, alarms, cameras and other mundane security devices."

Flitwick's other eyebrow joined its mate and he whistled appreciatively. "This place sounds as safe as Gringotts."

One of the two goblins said something and Flitwick blinked before replying in the same language. Harry and Hermione waited as Flitwick and the guards conversed, then Flitwick finished and bowed to the two guard-goblins.

"Sorry about the delay." Flitwick grinned. "My cousins were just informing me that this place is _almost_ as safe as Gringotts."

.

" _Two_ new recruits?" Harry asked almost rhetorically as he watched Luna and a younger boy he didn't recognize going through a set of basic exercises on the lawn, exercises that he had performed under his mother's eye years previously.

"Two." Ahsoka confirmed, giving him a quick one-armed hug as she kept an eagle-eye on her newest students. "Luna Lovegood and Abraham Black, Theophilus' son. Theophilus brought his family over to visit Sirius and I detected his Force signature."

"He's a wizard?" Hermione asked and Ahsoka shook her head.

"No, he's a muggle, but a Jedi. A normal Jedi rather than a… a Jedi Mage."

"Jedi Mage." Hermione mused. "I like that. But Luna? That blows my theory straight out of the water."

"Not really." Remus said from behind them. "Luna's mother was a professional Spell-crafter."

"Doesn't that mean a high-magic environment?" Hermione asked and Remus laughed.

"Quite the opposite, actually. When crafting spells, you need to do it in a magically-neutral environment, so that ambient magery doesn't warp, distort or alter the power-flows of whatever spell is being worked on. While this doesn't mean _no_ magic, it does mean that any magic in the area would have to be within its own containment wards, wards which would need regular checking and fixing."

Hermione nodded slowly. "So my theory is still possibly valid. That's good."

"When are they getting to build their lightsabers?" Harry asked as the duo on the lawn finished their Katas and started their cool-down stretches.

"Probably next year." Ahsoka smiled. "Luna's already showing great promise, in ages past, she would probably have started training to become a Consular Jedi due to her precognitive and sensory abilities."

"And Abraham?"

Ahsoka's smile broadened. "He could become a Blademaster. I can see the potential in him already."

"He could master _all_ the styles?" Hermione gasped. "I'm barely managing to keep up with learning Soresu!"

"Well, you are learning magic as well." Ahsoka replied reassuringly as the two newest Jedi approached. "The problem that I can see is that although we can get the Jedi working in the magical world, especially with your fame…"

Harry grimaced.

"… as the Boy-who-is-constantly-hyphenated." Ahsoka continued, causing Hermione to snort with hastily-repressed laughter. "Getting the Jedi active in the _mundane_ world… that will not be anywhere near as easy."

"…I think I have an idea." Remus said slowly. "We'll discuss it later. With Sirius and Theophilus."

"You two go and introduce yourselves, then get started on your Katas." Ahsoka said. "I think that Dueling Master Flitwick wishes to ask me a few questions."

"Indeed I do." Flitwick gushed, almost bouncing up and down in excitement. "Miss Granger said all styles, then mentioned something called Soresu. Is that a way of fighting?"

Harry towed Hermione out to the newest Padawans as Flitwick continued his cheerful interrogation.

.

Flitwick yelped as the spell he had just fired was deflected back at him, moving twice as fast. Barely managing to avoid it, he fired several more spells, then quickly shielded as Hermione once again sent them back at him. Taking stock of the situation, Flitwick changed tactics, targeting the ground around Hermione rather than risk having another one of his own spells returned to him. Caught by surprise, Hermione tried to retreat, only to fall into a shallow pool of quicksand that solidified around her legs, trapping her.

"You win." She sighed.

"You should have pressed your attack." Filius noted, but Hermione shook her head.

"Soresu is primarily defensive." Hermione said as Flitwich temporarily re-transformed the ground, allowing her to clamber out. "Since I prefer to negotiate whenever possible, a defensive style suits me better."

"It leaves you weak against area-effect spells, though." Flitwick stated and Hermione nodded.

"I need to work on my evasion skills."

Flitwick nodded, then glanced across to where Harry was engaged in combat against his mother, delivering powerful blows as she evaded and dodged with fluid ease and the occasional somersault. "What style is young Harry using?"

Hermione followed his gaze. "Djem So. It's a style that some describe as _peace through superior firepower_. It's a fairly aggressive style and almost unstoppable if used correctly. Jedi Ahsoka tends to use Ataru and Shien. Harry uses Ataru as well. I made some notes on the different forms, I can give a copy of them to you if you want. He just changed styles!"

Flitwick gaped as Harry transitioned almost seamlessly from his previous deliberate-but-powerful style into a more acrobatic one, launching strikes from a variety of directions . Ahsoka held her ground, her lightsaber now held in a reverse grip as she parried and countered his attacks.

"And now Ahsoka's using Shien." Hermione finished. "It's her favorite style, the one she used the most while she was training under Master Skywalker. Oh, nice move."

Flitwick nodded almost absently, his mind noting the differences between the styles and how Ahsoka had managed to disarm her son, thus ending the spar. "Judging from what I've seen today, most wizards would lose to a Jedi the first time they encountered one. Did I hear right about young Black? He is a Jedi, but not a wizard?"

Hermione nodded firmly. "Yes, and given that mundanes grow up in environments that don't damage their possible Force potentials, assuming they have them, I think that we'll end up with far more Jedi than Jedi Mages."

"Lady Tano is a witch." Filius stated, only to be answered by the very Jedi he was talking about.

"Actually, I'm pretty close to the border between Witch and Squib." Ahsoka said with a small smile as she strolled towards them. "Anything more than the _Expelliarmus_ spell is quite difficult for me. The only reason I can Apparate is that it relies mainly on willpower and focus, not pure magical power."

"I… see." Filius said slowly. "If word of that gets out, there might be some challenges as to your ability to care for young Harry."

"I am the only trained Jedi on the planet." Ahsoka countered. "Who else could raise Harry to use the Force? When he grows up, Harry will be one of the greatest in the new Jedi Order. Would you really wish to remove his future from him?"

Filius nodded, raising his hand in the dueller's sign for a conceded match.

.

"'Arry! 'Ey, 'Ermione. Didna expect ta see ya 'ere. Perfesser Flitwick."

"Good afternoon, Hagrid." Flitwick smiled. "What are you doing in the Concourse?"

"Ah got permishon ta use one o' the Weasley doors ta visit Charlie." Hagrid said with a smile. "Ah won a dragon egg in a game of poker and went ta Charlie fer 'elp wiv it. 'E sed 'e'd 'atch it fer me and ah cud 'elp raise it. Ah always wanted a dragon, but since ah live in a wooden 'ut…"

Hagrid trailed off with a sheepish grin, then his gaze sharpened. "So, ya met Ahsoka, eh? Nice lady."

"She is indeed." Flitwick smiled. "She managed to beat me without using any magic."

Hagrid's eyebrows shot up into his hairline and he whistled appreciatively.

"Ya headin' back ta 'Ogwarts?"

"Well, I am soon, I just need to take care of something in Gringotts first." Flitwick smiled. "Harry and Hermione will be returning tomorrow afternoon, they came to see me off."

Hagrid nodded. "Well, ah gotta git back too, prob'ly need to pull the twins outta the forest agin, then I gotta do a small job fer Dumbledore an' Flamel. See ya round."

.

* * *

.

"Here you go."

Ahsoka nodded her thanks as she took the goblet from Remus. Taking a sip, she sighed in contentment and leaned back in her chair as Remus sat down on his favorite chair. After a few moments, Remus spoke.

"I have to ask. How _did_ you learn Apparition? I never really considered it until you mentioned it to Professor Flitwick."

"Tom Riddle." Ahsoka replied, then seeing Remus' look of confusion, she expanded her answer. "Soon after I met Harry and rescued him from those… _relatives_ of his, I accidentally formed a temporary telepathic connection with him while I was teaching him meditation. Together, we located and destroyed the piece of Riddle's soul that had become lodged in his scar, seizing Riddle's memories, what there were of them, in the process. Since Harry was still recovering from living with the Hutt-alike and the Kaminoan, I took the memories and dealt with them myself, learning as much as I could from them. Riddle was a master of Apparition, he'd worked out how to do it with very little magic and since he knew, so did I. Fortunately I have _just_ enough magic to do it, otherwise getting to Gringotts would have been far, far more difficult."

Remus nodded. "And now that Harry and Hermione are at Hogwarts?"

"Well, I now have Luna and Abraham to train in the ways of the Jedi." Ahsoka mused, "But I was hoping to start another project. How are you getting on with the technomagery?"

"I've managed to create a few simple interfaces, but it's the Pack that are doing the most work on it." Remus replied. "Almost a third of them are… _were_ wizards before they were bitten and they still have their magic. With the mugg… _mundanes_ helping, quite a bit of progress has been made. Why?"

"Because I think it's time to start up a company." Ahsoka said with a smile before taking another sip. "With a bit of luck, we'll be able to reproduce some of the tech that I brought with me to Earth and we can feed it into the mundane world. Once their tech level's been boosted to something approaching usable, we can use the technomagery project to get a foothold in the _magical_ world."

Remus stared at her for a moment, then he felt a grin spread itself across his face.

"I _like_ it." He stated. "But how do we do it?"

"I'm hoping that the Pack will help." Ahsoka said, "And Theophilus might know some trustworthy people who can act as the interface between the Pack and the mundane world. Very complicated things like droid brains and hyperdrives are beyond me, I know how to fix them, not make them. Stuff like shield generators and subspace transceivers simply cannot be made with the current tech level, but power generators and repulsorlifts are probably just about within reach. Once we get those built and deployed, we can work towards making the tools needed for the next level of technology."

Remus nodded, then finished off his drink.

"I assume you've been making notes about all the different technologies you intend to produce?"

"Six folders so far." Ahsoka smirked. "Everything I could remember."

Remus nodded, then Ahsoka leaned forwards.

"Remus, while Filius was visiting, he made an odd comment about taking a break from enchanting winged keys. Do keys normally have wings?"

Remus shook his head. "Not that I know of."

"What is going on at Hogwarts that needs winged keys?" Ahsoka asked, her brow furrowed in concern. "As Master Kenobi occasionally said, I have a bad feeling about this."

.

* * *

.

The quartet slid almost silently through the halls of Hogwarts.

The key word being _almost_.

"I _really_ think we shouldn't be doing this." Hermione whispered.

"You saw the tower from outside," Ron replied in an undertone. "No sign of damage at all. Something's going on. What do you think, Neville?"

Neville swallowed. "I… I'm not sure."

Harry paused, then grabbed Neville and pulled him into a side room, Hermione and Ron following quickly. Closing the door silently, he held his finger to his lips as a voice echoed down the corridor they had just vacated.

"…going to see if I can get the stocks out of storage, the Headmistress is too soft on the brats, isn't she, Mrs Norris? Yes, the Headmistress is too soft, the brats need discipline, they need chains and the whip or they'll keep doing naughty things…"

The owner of the voice moved past the door and three exhalations of relief sounded almost as one.

"Hey, guys?"

"Yes, Nev?" Ron asked, "Wow, that's cool!"

Harry and Hermione blinked, then turned to see what had caught their friends attention. Neville was standing in front of a large, ornate free-standing mirror, his face alight with hope and happiness. Beside him, Ron was grinning.

"What is… oh my." Hermione said as she walked over to them and glanced into the mirror, then halted, staring with wide eyes. "Wow, is this the future?"

Harry blinked. "What?"

"I see myself in a library, the largest one on the planet." Hermione breathed. "Every subject… I'm writing a book on the Force… there's a whole shelf of them… Ahsoka's talking and… and I'm finding the book she wants… The Library's _mine_ , I'm the head Librarian…"

"I see my parents, they've recovered." Neville sighed happily. "They're thanking me… Gran's proud of me…"

"I'm a keeper for the Chudley Cannons." Ron grinned. "Wait… and I'm a Ranger, fighting alongside you and Hermione… I'm famous…"

Harry blinked again, then moved to look at the mirror. Taking care not to actually look into it, he looked at the border, quickly spotting the words engraved into it.

" _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_? What does that mean?"

The question jolted Hermione out of her rapt contemplation of the vision in the mirror and she looked at Harry in confusion.

"What?"

"It's engraved on the top of the mirror."

Hermione looked up. "Hmmmm, it's not latin… doesn't seem to match any other language I know… Aha! It's backwards and with spaces in the wrong places. _I show not your face, but your heart's desire_."

Harry failed to suppress his grin. "Your heart's desire…"

"Is a library." Hermione admitted ruefully , shaking her head. "Damn, this is one hell of a trap. Ron, Neville?"

The two boys ignored her as they continued to stare into the depths of the enchanted mirror. Harry and Hermione exchanged glances, then moved to block the two boy's line of sight.

"Ron, Ron?" Harry asked. "Snap out of it, it's not the future, it's just showing you what you really want."

Ron shook his head, then sighed. "Really? Damn."

"Gives you something to aim for, though." Harry countered and Ron brightened.

"Oh yeah! I'll be the best Keeper the Cannons have ever had, and one of the best Rangers as well."

Harry nodded, then looked over to where Hermione was hugging a crying Neville.

"I think tonight's pretty much over. We can try again next week. Let's get Neville back to his dorm so that he can get some sleep and recover. Whatever he saw in that mirror really affected him."

Ron nodded, then gave Harry a curious look. "What are your heart's desires?"

Harry's eyes unfocused, then he strode to stand in front of the mirror. "Ron, give me half a minute, then block my sight. Here I go."

The mirror seemed to be filled with silvery mist which quickly faded.

"I see… myself. Older, wiser. I'm a Jedi Master and Ahsoka's proud of me… I'm on the Jedi Council and… we're rising from our seats and… it's the Queen! The Queen is giving us her approval to work in the Mundane world…"

Ron stepped forwards, blocking Harry's view of the mirror and Harry sighed.

"Thanks, Ron. That mirror is one heck of a trap. I think we should leave. I don't trust myself around it at the moment."

"Yeah, I can feel the need to just stand there, staring into it." Ron shuddered. "What kind of idiot would have something like that in a school?"

"Actually, it is only here temporarily." A new voice stated and everyone spun to face the corner of the room it had issued from. As if removing a cloak, a seated white-bearded man appeared from almost nowhere. "I'm sorry, I dozed off for a moment."

"Who are you?" Neville asked at the same instant that Ron asked, "What _is_ that mirror?"

"The mirror is the _Mirror of Erised_ , a powerful magical relic." The man said with a smile. "As to who I am…"

"You're Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Mugwump of the Wizengamot and former Headmaster of Hogwarts." Hermione stated. Ron choked.

" _Brian_?"

"A small joke by my father." Albus smiled, his eyes seeming to twinkle. "Now, I think you four really should be getting your sleep. If you'll allow me to escort you back to your dormatory?"

"I'm in Hufflepuff." Neville muttered.

"Gryffindor!" Ron declaimed, "And these two are…"

"In Ravenclaw." Albus finished, earning a shocked look from Ron. "They _are_ famous. Harry Potter-Tano, Hermione Granger."

"And our friends, Neville Longbottom and Ron Weasley." Harry said, earning a smile and a nod from Albus.

"Then let us be off. If memory serves, I think the best route would be the Hufflepuff room first. I've often considered the Hufflepuffs to be far greater than most people think, their loyalty and willingness to work hard is something that many more people should aspire to."

Harry and Hermione nodded in agreement and Neville's eyes filled with tears again.

.

"So, I heard you wanted to be a Ranger." Albus said to Ron as they walked down the stairs. "I admit that I'm not familiar with that path."

"Rangers support and fight alongside the Jedi." Ron stated proudly. "That's why I study hard, so that whatever happens, I can still be useful. Sure, I love chess and Quidditch, but they can only take you so far in life unless you're _stupidly_ lucky."

"That's a very mature outlook." Albus said approvingly, then he glanced back to where Harry and Hermione were escorting a still teary-eyed Neville.

"Harry's desire is to be older and wiser." Albus smiled. "Also a very mature outlook."

Ron nodded. "And I'll be there to support them."

"And here we are." Albus said, stopping at a still-life painting, then he frowned as Ron turned away and started to put his fingers in his ears. "Mr Weasley… what are you doing?"

Ron looked at him as if he'd gone mad. "This is the Hufflepuff door, yes? I need to be able to tell my brothers truthfully that I didn't hear or see how it opens, otherwise they'll be down here pranking them and I'll get the blame."

"Wotcha."

Ron spun round and his eyes widened at the figure in the doorway that had been concealed by the painting.

"Tonks?"

"Hey, Ron. Harry, Hermione! Hows the Jedi stuff going… Neville! What happened, mate?"

"Neville had an encounter with an… enchanted object that gave him a vision of what he hoped would happen." Hermione explained as Harry guided Neville past Tonks and into the Hufflepuff common room. "He saw his parents…"

Tonks winced. "Got it. Ron, help Harry. Left doorway, follow the passage to the third door on the right. Get Neville into his 'jamas and back back here, I'll have a hot milk waiting for him."

Ron nodded and darted past Tonks, who turned to Hermione and Albus.

"Thanks for bringing him back. I was getting worried about him being out past curfew."

"He's Harry's godbrother." Hermione shrugged. "And he's amazing when it comes to plants."

"Yeah, Pomala is thinking of taking him on as her apprentice when he reaches third year." Tonks nodded, then she facepalmed. "Sorry, I'm being a bad host, can I get you anything?"

"We're heading back to our dorms too." Hermione smiled. "Professor Dumbledore was kind enough to escort us so that we didn't get into trouble."

"Headmas… I mean Professor!" A new female voice said and Hermione turned to see Professor Sprout entering the room. "It's good to see you again, sir."

.

"And just _where_ were you, _young_ man?" Professor Septima Vector inquired coldly, her brown eyes fixed on a suddenly-nervous Ron who was almost frozen in the doorway to the Gryffindor common room. "It _is_ past curfew, you know."

"It's alright, Septima." Albus said and Septima's head jerked round as if someone had just poked her. "He and his study-friends were with me, I'm afraid that we lost track of time, somewhat. I do apologize."

Hermione managed to keep her expression impassive, but her eyes reflected her shock at how Dumbledore was telling the truth in such a misleading way.

"Headmaster, good to see you again." Septima smiled. "Will you be joining us for breakfast tomorrow? Mr Weasley, you may go."

Mumbling a quick _goodnight_ to his friends, Ron vanished so quickly that it almost looked as if he had Apparated even as Albus answered the question.

"I will indeed. Minnie was kind enough to grant me the use of one of the guest rooms during the… _renovation_ of the tower. Will you be there too?"

"Indeed I will." Septima smiled. "But I think I should let you return those two to their tower, so I bid you a good night."

"Pleasant dreams, Septima." Albus replied as he shepherded Harry and Hermione away. As they rounded the corner, Hermione couldn't hold her shock in any more.

"Sir, did you just… _lie_ to get us out of trouble? Why would you do that?"

"Lie?" Albus queried, his eyes twinkling with quiet mirth. "Every word I said was the truth, my girl."

Hermione blinked.

"As for breaking curfew, I must admit that I myself broke several of the rules as a student, so it would be hypocritical for me to chastise you for that." Albus added. "Since no real harm came from it, and since I expect young Neville to recover and grow stronger from his experiences, especially with you and your friends so eager to help him, I see no reason to cause any further problems for anyone."

Hermione blinked again as she thought hard about what Albus had just said.

"Sir," Harry said softly, "You heard what we saw in the Mirror…"

"And I shall tell no-one." Albus said, then he looked at Harry with a knowing smile. "But that is not what you are asking. You want to know what _I_ see when I look in the mirror."

"Only if you don't mind." Harry said quickly. "I know that it may be…"

"Socks." Albus said.

Harry halted in his tracks, causing Hermione to walk into him.

"I see myself holding a new pair of thick socks." Albus smiled. "When you reach the age I am, you know that the greatest pleasure in life is relaxing with your feet snug and warm in a thick pair of socks. Alas, every Christmas and birthday, I get books and tapestries and many other things, but never socks."

"…socks?" Hermione whispered in shock. "Socks? _Socks_?!"

.

Albus raised a quizzical eyebrow as the door to the Ravenclaw tower opened.

"That's odd, I could have sworn that it used to ask riddles."

"It does." Flitwick said as he rose from his seat in the common room. "I _thought_ I had misplaced a couple of my eagles. Thank you for returning them."

"It was my pleasure." Albus replied. "I have learned a great deal from them. However, there is one thing more I must do. Harry, please wait a moment. Miss Granger, thank you for keeping an old man company, and I wish you a pleasant night."

Hermione nodded her thanks and vanished through the door to the female dorms as Flitwick moved to the rear of the room to give them some privacy.

"Lord Potter, I wish to offer my abject apologies." Albus said, his geniality vanishing, leaving only an old, tired man. "It was my decision, my belief that I knew best that condemned you to four years of living with the Dursleys, and it would have been ten had Miss Tano not rescued you from the hell that I, in my hubris, placed you.  
"In my defense, I can only plead that at the time, I was acting for what I thought was the good of the Wizarding world. I had let the adulation that surrounded me go to my head, I had come to believe that I was indeed the leader of Light and the only one who could truly see the future.  
"I was wrong.  
"I have made this promise to Lord Black and Mr. Lupin, and now I make it to you. If you wish my help for anything, just call and I will come. I have sworn off trying to control others, for I now know how blind I have become. I cannot ask for your forgiveness, for I do not believe I have earned it yet. All I ask is that you give me a chance to make amends for my mistakes.  
"Good night, Lord Potter."

Harry stood in the doorway, watching the former headmaster of Hogwarts walk away, bowed with the weight of his past.


	14. Associations

"Good morning, Neville." Harry said quietly as he took a slid onto the bench beside his friend. Neville looked at him with a smile.

"Morning, Harry."

"Wotcha." Tonks grinned from opposite them and Harry nodded to her.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm okay." Neville said quietly. "Talked a lot to Tonks, talked to Ponama and even Dumbledore after he left you in Ravenclaw tower. What that mirror showed me… it's something I can _try_ to make happen."

Harry smiled. "I sent a letter to mum this morning, asking her if she had any ideas. Don't be surprised if you get a letter from Sirius abut it."

" _Sirius_ is your _mum_?" Neville asked. Harry opened his mouth to deny it, then caught the amused twinkle in Neville's eyes and simply shook his head.

"When did you turn into such a prankster?"

"Since you made gran get me a new wand." Neville smirked. "It's amazing the confidence boost that comes with discovering you're not a near-squib. Fourteen circles and sparkles, remember?"

Harry nodded, then lightly punched Neville on his shoulder. "Yeah, I remember."

" _Fourteen_ rings?" Tonks gasped. "Bloody hell, Nev! Is your middle name Merlin or something?"

"How did you _know_ that? I never told anyone!" Neville gasped and Tonks' eyes widened for a moment, only to narrow as Neville failed to maintain his expression and started to giggle.

"You prat." She sighed, shaking her head. "Are you taking lessons from the Weasley twins or something?"

"Every morning." Neville grinned and Tonks promptly head-desked.

"I didn't need to know that." She mumbled. "Do I _dare_ eat my breakfast with you around?"

"I only participate in the whole-school pranks." Nevelle shrugged.

"Should I be reassured?" Tonks shot back as she lifted her head from the table and Neville grinned, as did Harry and Hermione. "Never mind. From those grins, I can see I should be _really_ worried."

Neville started laughing.

.

* * *

.

"Welcome to your flying lesson. I am Madam Hooch, your instructor." Said the short, grey-haired woman. "Please take positions by the brooms. One person per broom"

Harry moved to one of the brooms on the ground and looked down at the shiny broom, a broom with not even one bristle out of place.

"These look new."

"Cleansweeps 260s, one of the best learner brooms around." Madam Hooch said, pitching her voice so that everyone could hear her. "They were donated last year by Lord Black to replace the old learning brooms which were overdue to be replaced. Is everyone beside a broom? Good, now hold out your hand and say _up_."

Harry grinned as he held out his hand.

"Up."

Almost a dozen brooms rose in response to the commands of the people standing next to them. Looking across at the Hufflepuff line, Harry noted that one of those who had done it first time was Neville. Catching his gaze, Neville gave him a small smile.

"Good, now put your leg over the broom, but _don't_ push off." Madam Hooch instructed as she walked down between the two lines. "Excellent, good posture… this isn't your first time, is it Mister Potter-Tano?"

Harry grinned. "My godfather and his best friend taught me to fly. In fact, my godfather even got me a couple of lessons with the Holyhead Harpies, although I still think it was so that he could try to chat them all up."

Madam Hooch managed to restrain herself to a slight upwards twitch of her lips. "And how did Miss Jones respond ?"

"Challenged him to a Beater's Duel." Harry grinned. "When he recovered, he proposed to her."

"She KO'd him with her broomstick." Hermione added. "Said afterwards that it was traditional in cases like that. Remus agreed with her."

A small chuckle escaped from Madam Hooch's lips. "I… see. Miss Jones hasn't let herself become any softer since I taught her how to fly. Alright everyone, enough lollygagging! Push off _slowly_ and concentrate on simply hovering."

Harry lit the broom rise under him slightly, glancing round to check that no-one was struggling. One of the boys from Hufflepuff was looking nervous as he wobbled slightly and Harry _reached_ out with the Force to temporarily stabilise him, before releasing the now-more confidant boy.

"Excellent." Madame Hooch said as she lifted off the ground on her own broom, coming to a stop slightly above everyone else, her eyes taking in everyone's postures. "Now, we're going to move forwards, aim for the Quidditch pitch and move forwards. No racing, just slow and steady. Get a feel for your broom."

Harry slid sideways, eyes scanning the group in accordance with his Jedi instincts. A brief glimpse of bushy brown hair showed that Hermione was doing the same on the other side. A sudden wobble in the moving gaggle caught his attention and Harry once again _reached_ out to stabilize the girl who was about to fall off. A moment later, he felt a ripple in the Force that told him that Hermione was doing something similar. Under their watchful eyes, the group traversed the distance between the castle and the Quidditch pitch without any injuries.

"Alright, that's almost it." Madam Hooch called out as they returned to the field that they had started from. "You can land, practice hovering or do a lap around the castle. Your choice."

Harry grinned and pulled up into a modified Immelmann turn, accelerating as he did so. A pulse of amusement followed and he glanced back to see several others trying to catch up with him while the rest landed under the watchful eyes of Madam Hooch and Hermione. Tucking himself tight against his broom, Harry curved round the corner so tightly that his robes hissed in contact against the wall, then he angled upwards, popping up over the parapet of the castle, his gaze fixed on a specific tower.

.

"So, what did you learn?" Hermione asked as she sat down at the desk in Harry's study. Harry leaned back in his chair and smiled at her.

"From the outside, the tower is undamaged. I saw several runes on it, I wrote them down."

Hermione took the sheet he handed to her and frowned at the runes on it. "Interesting… I watched Remus doing some warding and those look quite like the ones he was inscribing on the wardstone."

"The lower windows are barred, but I caught a few glimpses." Harry continued. "The Mirror of _Erised_ is on the top level. I didn't get much of a look at the levels below, but I swear I saw a couple of giant chess pieces."

"I've been researching this Flamel that Hagrid mentioned." Hermione shrugged, reaching into the small chest that Harry kept by the desk and pulling out a Chocolate Frog packet. "So far, I haven't found anything about anyone called Flamel."

Harry nodded. "So, we have a tower that's being used to store the Mirror of Erised, a tower which has been warded and reinforced. The different levels of the tower hold different things, probably obstacles designed to slow or halt anyone trying to get through. Hagrid is involved somehow and I don't think that Headmistress McGonagal would _not_ know what is going on… Hermione? What is it?"

Hermione sat in shocked silence, staring at the card she held in her hand.

"Hermione?"

"I found him." Hermione whispered. "Look."

Harry accepted the card and looked at the title.

"Hermione, this is Dumbledore."

"Look at the text."

Harry sighed and returned his attention to the card, hiding a smile as the image of Dumbledore waved at him. "Considered by many to be the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of Dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas… Flamel…"

Harry looked up to see Hermione rapidly flicking through a large book, then she halted with a triumphant expression on her face.

" _Here_ he is! Nicolas Flamel, born 1327. A noted practitioner of alchemy and potions master, he is currently the only known Alchemist capable of creating the ultimate expression of Alchemy, the Philosopher's Stone."

"I've heard of that." Harry mused. "It can turn lead into gold, and confers immortality!"

"Two damned good reasons to want it." Hermione agreed. "So, someone wants the Stone and it's hidden at Hogwarts, in the Southeast tower. The tower is warded, so the only way up is from the inside, but there are traps on each level."

"We need to know what those wards are." Harry said. "I was able to fly to within arms-reach of the tower."

"That was very reckless of…" Hermione started, then she paused and shook her head. "Never mind. You're better with Jedi skills than I am, you'd _know_ if you were in danger."

"Opens up a whole new raft of possibilities, doesn't it?" Harry grinned, a grin that Hermione soon returned before she frowned again.

"We know the _what_ , _where_ , _why_ and _how_. But that leaves the _who_. Who is the one after the Stone?"

"Good question." Harry admitted. "Who indeed."

Hermione snagged a spare piece of parchment and began jotting down names.

"What are you doing?"

"We can try to cross off staff as we clear them." Hermione explained, her quill almost flying as she finished her list. "We can also keep an eye out for anyone else who comes to Hogwarts regularly."

Harry nodded in understanding.

.

* * *

.

Harry leapt backwards to dodge Hermione's counter-attack and held up a hand. Hermione lowered her lightsaber and gave him a curious look.

"What is it?"

"We're being watched." Harry said, closing his eyes and _reaching_ out to find the source of the gaze he had detected. "Not hostile, curious… intrigued, slightly impressed… and he's standing just behind me."

Hermione's eyes widened as a tall, dark-haired man seemed to appear out of thin air barely ten paces behind her fellow-Jedi.

"I am intrigued." The new arrival said, his gaze fixed on Harry. "How did you know I was here?"

"I could feel your life-energy." Harry said, turning round and looking up at the dark-clad man. "I bid you good morrow, sir. My name is Harry Potter-Tano, Padawan of the Jedi Order. With me is Hermione Granger, also a Padawan."

"Professor Severus Snape." The man replied, giving Harry a slight nod. "Potions Master and head of Slytherin House."

"An honor to meet you, sir." Harry said, giving a slight bow.

Snape stared at him for a moment, then he suddenly spoke. "Your face looks like your father's, but you have your mother's eyes."

Harry blinked. "My mother? You mean Lily Potter?"

"Who else would I mean?" Snape asked acerbically.

"Ahsoka Tano."

Snape paused, his face frozen, then he sighed. "Of course. You wouldn't remember Lily."

"Perhaps some day you can tell me about her." Harry said quietly. "She sacrificed herself to save my life. Mum said it was possibly the most selfless act she had ever come across."

"Your mother was one of the bravest witches in the world." Severus said softly, his eyes unfocused as he stared at a vision that only he could see. "She was a genius and one of the few who could equal me in the art of potions. She was living proof that the Muggleborn are equal in every way to the Purebloods. Until I made a mistake that I regret even to this day, we were friends, but in a moment of madness, I threw it all away. I thought she despised me, until I heard her Will and through it, her forgiveness."

For a long moment, Snape remained motionless, his eyes shining with unshed tears, then he blinked and rubbed his hand across his face.

"Your mother left a legacy that I hear that you are living up to." He commented. "It is gratifying to know that the son of Lily is not a dunderhead like James Potter was."

Before Harry could reply, Snape turned and strode off, his cape flaring dramatically.

"Well, that was interesting." Hermione murmured. "I could feel his pain, it was like an old scar. He's been hurting for a long time."

Harry nodded. "I wonder…"

Hermione gave him a sharp glance when he trailed off instead of completing his sentence. "You wonder what?"

"Never mind." Harry sighed. "Come on, we have a spar to finish."

.

"Headmistress."

"Professor Snape."

Minerva watched as Severus slowly paced across her office and came to a stop by the window, his gaze moving to rest on something visible outside. After a long, silent moment, she rose from her seat and, abandoning her paperwork, moved to his side. Following his gaze, she watched as two lightsaber-wielding figures batted away streams of spells from almost half a dozen attackers.

"Severus?"

For another long minute, Severus remained as still as a statue, then he sighed.

"It still hurts. I see both James and Lily in him, but he acts like neither of them. I cost him all that he once loved, and yet he forgave me, just like his mother did."

Minerva nodded. "You are not the only one who looks at him and sees his parents, Severus. When I do, I see Lily staring at me, asking me why he was left with those muggles."

Severus nodded and the two of them stood silently, looking at the scene below yet each seeing something completely different.

.

* * *

.

Dumbledore looked round in bewilderment as Sirius Black strode towards him. He'd responded to the Goblin-relayed letter and traveled to Gringotts, where he had been escorted down to a large cavern that he had never seen before, a cavern which had been landscaped with hedges and walls to create a large central area surrounded by almost a hundred smaller courtyards on various levels, each of which had a door-sized hole carved into the wall that the courtyard was set against. Each courtyard had a station for Gringotts security at its entrance, as well as a large Teller desk set inside the courtyard itself, but only one courtyard was actually manned (or _Goblined_ ), a courtyard which had the Potter crest hanging above it on a banner and below it, a set of smaller banners with crests that Dumbledore recognized as the Longbottoms, the Weasleys (although he hadn't actually seen it used in public before), the Blacks and at least one that he couldn't identify. Following his instructions, he'd stepped through the door and suddenly found himself in a large building with huge skylights and what looked like long walls on either side made from small rooms.

"Greetings, Dumbledore."

"Lord Black." Albus replied, still looking around, then back at the doorway he had come through. Beyond the two goblins standing guard, he could see part of the cavern. "I admit to being… somewhat surprised."

Sirius grinned. "Welcome to the Concourse, the meeting ground for the Potter Alliance."

Albus' gaze snapped to the younger man. "Potter Alliance?"

Sirius nodded. "I'll explain later. We've been reviewing all the information you sent. Between your information and Gringott's capabilities, we think we've located two more of Riddle's Horcruxes. Even now, a team is preparing to go to a place called Little Hangleton to check out the home of the Gaunt family for the ring while a vault audit by Gringotts has discovered another in my _dear_ cousin Bellatrix's vault. The Goblins say that they'll have removed the soul-fragment and dissipated it by the end of the week without affecting the enchantments, I intend to have it donated to Hogwarts once we've finished dealing with the Riddle problem. I feel certain that its potion-enhancing abilities will prove most welcome for Madam Pomfrey."

Albus nodded. "Thank you. You have done more in one year than I managed in ten."

"Still leaves the diadem and the diary." Sirius sighed as he started to walk towards the middle of the Concourse. Albus glanced around, then at looked at their destination.

"This is a very unusual place. I have never seen a tower like that before."

"Muggle-built." Sirius explained as they entered the square building. "We need the second floor."

Albus followed Sirius up spiral staircase, marveling at how well the pieces fitted together without any signs of transfiguration. Although the ground floor didn't have any Rune Doors, the first level had three, while the level that they next reached had two as well as two normal doors leading to the elevated external walkways. Without hesitation, Sirius led Dumbledoor through one of them and they emerged in a stone cave with a cloaked figure waiting for them.

"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Chief Warlock and Supreme Mugwump, be known to Ahsoka Tano, Jedi Knight and currently Grand Master of the Jedi of Earth. Ahsoka, this is Albus."

"Warlock Dumbledore." Ahsoka said with a slight bow. "Welcome to the Cove."

"Lady Tano, it is a pleasure to finally meet you." Albus replied, returning her bow. Ahsoka chuckled and motioned for Albus to take a seat at the stone table. "Is this where…?"

"Where I raised Harry for four years and began his training in the Jedi way." Ahsoka confirmed, then she looked up in surprise as a bird appeared in a flash of fire and started to circle round the cave. "…what is that…?"

"Fawkes." Dumbledore said with a smile, his eyes fixed on the phoenix as it spiraled down and gently landed on Ahsoka's shoulder. "I think he approves of you."

Fawkes let out a trill and Ahsoka reached up to stroke him. Albus' eyes sharpened as her hand came into view.

"Lady Tano… do you need to go to St Mungo's?"

Ahsoka looked at him, then at her hand before realization dawned. Reaching up, she unhooked her veil and lowered her hood.

"I am perfectly healthy, Warlock Dumbledore." She said as Fawkes rubbed his head against one of her horns. "However, I am not and have never been human. I am a Togruta, probably the only one on this world. My homeworld is called Shili."

Dumbledore stared at her in wide-eyed shock for a moment and then Sirius, chuckling, placed his finger under Dumbledore's chin and pushed it up. Albus' mouth almost snapped shut, then he rubbed his eyes. After a moment he lowered his hand and gave Sirius an amused glance.

"You can put your wand away, my boy. I'm not going to do anything stupid, I have done far too many stupid things already. Besides, I fear that Fawkes would never forgive me if I hurt his new friend."

Sirius glanced at Ahsoka and at her nod, he returned his wand to its holster.

"Sorry." He shrugged. "I think I'm getting rather paranoid."

"Constant vigilance, as Moody would say." Albus chuckled. "I admit to curiosity. I travelled a great deal when I was younger, and I do not recall seeing any beings who looked like you."

"Long story." Sirius said as he flopped onto one of the seats. "But we have an hour before we're expected. It all began when Harry was four…"

.

"Lord Black, Master Tano, Professor Dumbledore. Welcome to Little Hangleton."

"Thank you, Trainee Curse-Breaker Weasley." Sirius replied with a grin. "Found anything?"

"The rest of the team is at the shack." Bill replied, looking curiously at Albus. "There are quite a few wards there that I don't recognize and we've had to set a few wards of our own to stop the snakes attacking us, although Dallan has been of some use there."

"I can help with the snakes as well." Ahsoka said with a smile. "Parseltongue, remember?"

"There's also a snake skeleton nailed to the door." Bill added. "We think it's trapped."

"No problem." Sirius grinned. "Between Ahsoka's Jedi abilities, my pranking skills, Albus' vast amount of knowledge and your team's experience, we can get through _any_ ward, especially ones put up by that egomaniac Riddle… what?"

"Sorry." Ahsoka said, managing to hold in her giggles. "Just… _you_ calling someone an egomaniac? If you could power shields by sheer ego, you could probably protect a Venator in combat."

Sirius stared at her for a long moment. "Why do I suspect that if I knew what a Venator was, I'd be insulted?"

Ahsoka gave him an innocent smile and turned to Bill, who was trying to hide his own grin.

"While Sirius is pondering, can you take us to meet your team?"

"Sure." Bill shrugged. "They've been briefed."

"Briefed?" Albus asked and Bill sent a meaningful look in Ahsoka's direction. Albus blinked, then nodded in understanding.

.

"Lady Tano, this is Senior Curse-breaker Gripknife, the leader of the team."

"You look familiar…" Ahsoka said, looking at him curiously. "Have we met before?"

"You probably met my younger brother."

"Ah yes!" Ahsoka said in realisation. "Your brother, the lawyer…. Gripsack? The one who works with Law-witch Gwendoline Twist?"

"That's him." Gripknife smirked. "We do look similar. You've already met Trainee Curse-Breaker William ' _Bill_ ' Weasley, here we have Healer Willow Pomphrey, Curse-Breaker Dallan ' _Hissy_ ' Delver, Curse-Breaker ' _Lucky_ ' Sven Longshanks and Artificer Shatterhand who has prior experience dealing with Horcruxes."

Ahsoka bowed slightly to each human as they were introduced, then gave the elderly goblin a deeper bow. "It is an honor to make your acquaintances."

"We took the liberty of scouting out the area and putting up some anti-muggle wards." Sven said. "Not much in the general area, but the shack in question is almost coated in traps, wards and curses. Some of them are even in Parseltongue."

"Which is why I am being here, reassigned from Gringotts Delhi for this mission." Dallan said. "I am a Parseltongue, but as my family is from India, we are not having the same problems with serpent-speech that the British are having."

Albus opened his mouth, then paused, frowning in thought. A moment later, he closed his mouth, comment unsaid, and nodded slowly.

"The outer shell seems to be simple anti-Muggle wards." Gripknife said. "Weasley, Longshanks, protocol seven."

Bill and Sven moved to flank Gripknife and they began to cast detection and analysis spells.

"I am hearing that you are a speaker to snakes too." Dallan said, his gaze fixed on the trio at the edge of the wards. "I am wondering if it is something your race is known for in your homeland, I have never come across another snake-speaker who was not human before. Except for the snakes themselves, that is being."

"My son and I shattered a Voodoo curse cast by Riddle, and we were able to take the Parseltongue skill form that." Ahsoka said, but Dallan shook his head.

"I have come across Voodoo before, what you describe is not being possible. I have been reading much about what is happening that evening and I am thinking your son was being an accidental Horcrux, and that you are managing to banish the soul fragment without harming him."

Ahsoka stared at him and he nodded slowly.

"I am seeing that I am being right. So, Voldemort is making multiple Horcruxes… and since there are only so many that can be made without reducing the soul to such a degree that it self-destructs… he probably tried to make six Horcruxes due to the arithmatic power of seven. How many have been found?"

"Including this one? Four." Ahsoka said and Shatterhand lifted his brows.

"Impressive."

"One was pure luck. We thought it was in a cave, but found it in a cupboard." Ahsoka admitted and Shatterhand nodded.

"Be careful to never underestimate the power of luck. It can easily overwhelm fate and destiny."

"Got it!" Bill called. "Outer wards are down. Hissy, we have _snakes_! _Lots_ of snakes!"

"Be holding your Hippogriffs, I am being there."

.

The door to the shack creaked as it opened and Ahsoka stepped backwards.

"My senses are telling me that there's something… bad… in there." She said. Bill nodded and picked up a stone.

"Everyone back. Bit more… let's see what happens."

The rock arced through the door and was promptly vaporized by a bolt of lightning. Several whistles of appreciation sounded.

"That is being a very powerful trap." Dallan said quietly. "I am wondering how long it is taking for the runes to be re-energizing."

"I saw something like this in Portugal once." Sven noted. "It was fed directly from a ley-line, but I don't sense one here. I guess it's powered by ambient magic."

Bill threw another rock in through the door and it was shattered by another bolt.

"I am detecting a surge in runic energy along the walls." Dallen said. "The control rune is being near the corner, but it is being shielded by absorption runes that will be stopping any spell we are firing at it."

"Point out where it is." Ahsoka said, her lightsaber flying into her hand and activating. Dallan fired a small paint-ball at the wall and Ahsoka slashed her lightsaber vertically through the paint and the wall behind it. An instant later, the shack seemed to tremble, then it exploded in slow motion, the wooden planks forming it slowly drifting outwards before settling on the floor.

"…that was different." Bill said slowly, looking at the wooden floor of the former shack and the pile of planks surrounding it. "I think that got most of the enchantments. I'm detecting a few more curses, all in that area of smooth wood. If you could cut round it, please?"

Ahsoka walked round the oddly-smooth section of the rough-hewn floor, her saber slicing through the desiccated wood, leaving a line and a trail of smoke. Once the circle was complete, Dallen levitated the wooden plug out of the way, revealing a box. Sven waved his wand over it.

"A couple of minor curses on the box, but I'm picking up several powerful Parselmagic spells inside, probably on the ring itself. Hissy, that'll be yours. Opening now."

A gangrenous-green glow briefly surrounded the box before being whipped away like smoke in a strong breeze, then the lid opened, revealing a simple golden ring with a large stone inset on it. Dallan knelt down and started to hiss at it, then the ring briefly flashed blood-red.

"It is being done, the curse is no more. I am only detecting the dark soul residing in it."

"My turn." Shatterhand growled, stepping forwards and nodding at Gripsack. Gripsack reached into the satchel he was carrying and pulled out a small cage containing a rat. Handing it to Shatterhand, he stepped back and Shatterhand placed the cage beside the ring before closing his eyes and beginning to chant. Both the rat and the ring started to glow, a glow which slowly intensified until they were both shining like miniature suns. The observers watched as the glow held, then it suddenly flashed like a nova before fading away.

"It… is done." Shatterhand gasped as Gripsack moved to support him. "The rat… is now the Horcrux. Take it… and _kill_ it."

"And the ring?" Albus asked quietly, his gaze fixed on the stone that looked too big for the band it was mounted on.

"Unless I miss my guess, that is the legendary Resurrection stone." Shatterhand half-whispered. "I do not know of _anyone_ who can be trusted with it."

Albus sighed. "I fear you may be right, but it would be wrong to destroy it. Legend says that the three Hallows shall be united and the one who holds them shall become the Master of Death. I believe that the only one with the potential to one day use that power and not be corrupted by it is none other than… Harry Potter-Tano."

Ahsoka stared at the elderly wizard in shock. "What?"


	15. Halloween

"Halloween." Harry stated, staring at the calender with a carefully-neutral expression. Hermione glanced at him and winced slightly.

"Will you be attending the feast tonight?"

Harry opened his mouth, then his gaze unfocused slightly. Hermione watched as he blinked, then shook his head to clear it.

"I was going to go to the Cove and meditate after the lessons finished, but… something tells me to remain in the school." Harry said slowly. Hermione frowned.

"Really? That's odd."

"I know." Harry said, still frowning in thought. "I won't _attend_ the feast, but I will remain in the tower tonight."

Hermione nodded. "Alright. Shouldn't we get going? I'm sure the others are waiting for us outside."

Harry held out his hand and his lightsaber flew across the room into his grasp. Hooking it onto his belt, he nodded.

"Ready."

.

* * *

.

Both Harry and Hermione glared at a smirking Draco Malfoy, then Professor Tonks' voice sounded.

"Fifty points from Slytherin, _mister_ Malfoy, and I _shall_ be having a discussion with your head of house about your behavior today, as well as about these _beliefs_ that you seem to hold."

Draco sneered, carefully making sure that Professor Tonks couldn't see his face.

"I'll go after Lisa, you slap down the bastard." Hermione whispered to Harry as she finished grabbing her things. Harry nodded and Hermione slipped out of the classroom.

"Scion Malfoy." Harry said, pitching his voice so that everyone could hear him. "As Lord Potter, I hereby inform you that your bullying actions and use of the word _mudblood_ are not acceptable."

"And what are you going to do? You're not even a real wizard." Draco sneered. "My dad says that Jedi are _nothing_ compared to proper wizards like myself."

" _Malfoy!_ " Tonks snapped, then she paused as Harry held his hand up.

"Scion Malfoy, I have heard your words and believe them to be false. Tomorrow after lunch I shall call upon you to prove your claims. We shall duel before all of Hogwarts in the Great Hall under the gaze of Deputy Headmaster Flitwick and Professor Snape. I shall use only the Jedi Way whilst you use what _little_ you know of wizarding. Since I do not think it would be fair for one so unlettered as yourself to stand alone, I shall permit you to have three to aid you. And when I defeat you all, you shall apologize publicly to Lisa Turpin for your actions this day."

"As if you could beat me." Draco sneered. "I'll kick your ass tomorrow, Jedi scum."

Harry watched Draco strut out of the potions classroom, then he looked back at Andromeda, who was staring at him.

"Is there a problem, Professor?"

"You're really going to face off against him and three others?" She asked. "What happens if he chooses to use three sixth- or seventh-years?"

"Then he'll look weak for needing them to help him, and I'll still defeat them." Harry shrugged. "No, I think he'll get his two shadows to help, and probably another pureblood bigot from his year. It'll be interesting to see who joins him."

Andromeda stared at him, then a wry grin spread across her face. "How in Merlin's name did you avoid being sorted into Gryffindor or Slytherin?"

.

Hermione opened the door to the girl's bathroom and stepped inside. A flicker of movement caught her attention and she turned to find herself face to face with a translucent ghost.

"Another one?" the ghost said. "Your friend's over there, crying. I could tell her that crying doesn't help, but she won't listen to me."

Hermione tilted her head slightly. Something in the ghost's statement tugged at her instincts.

"Good afternoon, my name is Hermione Granger, may I know yours?"

The ghostly schoolgirl brightened. "Oh! My name's Myrtle. I died here in 1943, Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses, so I came in here for some solitude, then a pair of giant yellow eyes appeared! It was the last thing I ever saw while alive, but I made sure that Olive regretted teasing me."

Hermione nodded slightly. "Did you ever find out what caused your… your…"

"My death." Myrtle said calmly. "You can say it, you know. I won't be offended, I know I'm dead. But no, I never found out. They said it was an Acromantula, but they don't have yellow eyes. They have lots of red ones."

Hermione noted that the crying had stopped, but the conversation she was having had intrigued her.

"If it was a creature, there are only a few possibilities, assuming that it was its gaze that killed you. It could have been a Cockatrice or a Basilisk… probably… the… oh Merlin."

"…there's a Basilisk in the castle?" Lisa quavered as she emerged from one of the cubicles and Hermione shrugged, looking round.

"I think I can sense something… there's a snake engraved underneath this sink. I think we need either Harry or Ahsoka to open this."

"Why Harry?" Lisa asked. "And who's Ahsoka?"

"They're Parseltongues." Hermione said absently, then she looked up at Myrtle's gasp.

"You-know-who was one!"

"And when Harry and Ahsoka destroyed a dark voodoo curse placed by Riddle, they were able to extract the Parseltongue ability from it and use it themselves." Hermione said, remembering the cover story that they had created in case Harry's skill was discovered. "Okay, that's enough of this for now. Moving on. Lisa, although what Draco said in class about the limitations of muggleborns in wizarding society _does_ have a bit of truth, the situation is getting better every day and no, Purebloods _cannot_ simply purchase muggleborns and enslave them. Although it _is_ hard for muggleborns to rise in society by means other than marriage, it isn't impossible and Padfoot… sorry, I mean _Lord Sirius Black_ is spearheading the campaign to bring the wizarding world closer to the muggle world in terms of fairness and equality. Anyway, I… do you hear something?"

Lisa screamed as the door exploded in a cloud of splinters. Hermione leapt backwards, shielding Lisa with her own body even as her lightsaber seemed to leap into her hand and ignite. The troll swung its club and shattered one of the cubicle doors.

"Not good." Hermione said in a too-calm tone of voice as the troll started to advance towards them, smashing at the cubicles that it passed. "Myrtle! Harry should be in Ravenclaw tower! Get him!"

Mytle nodded jerkily, then dived into one of the toilets, causing it to flush just before the descending club shattered it.

"P… pr… prot…ego…" Lisa stuttered and a brief shimmer appeared before them before seeming to shatter and vanish. Hermione frowned, then thrust out her hand, causing the troll to stagger backwards.

"What was _that_?"

"Force Push." Hermione grunted as she once again used the Force to knock back the advancing troll. "Back up, we need to buy as much time as we can. See if you can get that shield to work."

Lisa nodded and gripped her wand firmly. " _Protego_!"

The troll's club bounced off the brief shield and rebounded to hit its head, causing it to stagger backwards as it tried to focus. A couple of hexes lashed out from Lisa's wand and caused it to stagger back further before it growled and shook off the effects.

"Good job! Let's see if we can do it again!"

Lisa grinned briefly, then paled as the troll released a roar of fury and charged at them. Hermione thrust out her hand…  
…and the troll hurtled backwards, smashing into the wall and groaning before slumping onto the floor. Hermione and Lisa stared at it in shock.

"Looks like I got here just in time." Harry said from the door, lowering his hand. "Myrtle, thank you. The House of Potter owes you a favor for your bravery today."

"You did a Force Pull at the same time as I Pushed." Hermione realised. "No wonder the troll got KO'd."

"Mister Potter-Tano!" Filius' voice squeaked. "What happened here?"

"Troll, sir."

"Troll?" Filius gasped. "But we only found out a moment ago when Quirrel shouted it to the hall and fainted. Hagrid's guarding the students, the rest of us set out to find it. What did you do to it?"

"We knocked it out." Harry shrugged, hiding his amusement behind a laconic tone. "It wasn't hard."

"Didn't even need to use magic." Hermione added, catching onto Harry's joke and deciding to play along. "Any Jedi Knight could have done it."

Flitwick stared at them in shock.

.

"…so the normal method for dealing with problems is to send the students to their dormitories first and only _then_ search for the source of the threat?" Hermione asked in shock. "Oh yes, that's a _great_ idea, have lots of defenseless people moving around and probably into harms way!"

"Fortunately, your friend Neville Longbottom spoke up." Flitwick said, ignoring Hermione's adrenaline-fuelled sarcasm. "He suggested remaining in the Great Hall with Hagrid to guard the students, and Quirrel to act as backup once he recovered from his fainting."

Harry nodded with a proud smile on his face. "I hope he received points for that."

"He did." Flitwick nodded as Snape drew up behind them. "Ah, Severus, we have located the troll and these three have been kind enough to render it unconscious for us."

Snape glanced through the broken door, then his eyebrows rose as he took a second, longer look.

"We may need Quirrel's help to get it out of the castle." He said slowly. "I do not believe that I could levitate it as it is, Trolls are highly resistant to… what in Merlin's name?"

Flitwick raised an eyebrow as the troll rose into the air, then his gaze moved to Harry.

"I see. Severus, if you could show Lord Potter where to deposit the troll, I'll speak to the girls."

Snape nodded and motioned for Harry to follow him. As they strode down the corridor, Harry looked up at the towering professor.

"Sir?"

Snape glanced down at him, one eyebrow slightly raised.

"Siri… I mean Lord Black… has he…"

Snape sighed. "If you are talking about what I believe you to be talking about, yes. Lord Black has apologized publicly to me in front of the entire Wizengamot for his actions against me when we were students, as I have apologized to him for mine against him. The same applies to Mister Lupin. Although we shall never be friends or allies, we are no longer enemies."

Harry nodded as they rounded the corner, the troll still floating behind them.

"Thank you, sir."

Snape looked at him again, this time with a measuring gaze.

"You have your mother's eyes, but your father's face. Professor Tonks tells me that you have proven that you are not a dunderhead in potions."

"The portraits of my grandparents have told me several stories about my mother." Harry said, his eyes unfocused as he remembered the evenings spent curled up in a large wingback chair in the library. "They said that she was almost the top of her year in potions."

"Indeed she was." Snape said, a small smile flitting briefly across his lips. "Lily and I had quite the competition going on. To this day, I am still unsure as to which of us was the better at potions when we finally left Hogwarts."

"How did you meet my mother, sir? If you don't mind telling me, that is."

"I met Lily several years before we started Hogwarts." Snape began, "In fact, it was I who helped her learn that she was a witch…"

.

"Andromeda has informed me that it was Draco Malfoy's fault that you were in harm's way." Flitwick said as he led the two girls towards Ravenclaw tower. "And that Harry has challenged him to a duel tomorrow after lunch."

"That's right." Hermione confirmed with a wry smile. "I guess that after the troll, Draco should be easy."

"I agree completely." Lisa joked. "I mean there's no possible way that Draco could possibly match the troll's intellectual capabilities, let alone his magical prowess."

Flitwick quickly turned his laughter into a coughing fit.

"The troll probably has better hygiene, too." Lisa added and Hermione's self-control evaporated as she leaned against the wall, laughing. Flitwick gave up trying to remain serious and joined in, his high-pitched chuckles an amusing counterpoint to Hermione's musical laughter. Lisa looked at them with a smile.

.

The troll sat up and looked round in confusion before grabbing its club and rising to its feet. Rubbing at its head, it turned and ambled towards the treeline.

"Ten points to Ravenclaw for loyalty to housemates." Snape commented quietly as he and Harry watched the departing troll.

"Thank you, sir."

"Of course, if you tell anyone that I gave you points, I shall deny it." Snape added. "I _do_ have a reputation to maintain, after all."

"Yes, sir." Harry grinned. "I understand."

"Good." Snape said s he strode away, his cloak billowing. Harry paused.

"Sir," He called and Snape paused, looking back at him. "Just _how_ do you do that cool billowing thing?"

Snape smirked. "Practice."

.

* * *

.

The Great Hall seemed to be both quieter and yet noisier than normal as the students exchanged excited whispers. At the Ravenclaw table, Harry finished his lunch and looked round at the others in his house.

"So, who placed bets on me?" He joked and almost half the students looked away or blushed. Hermione reached across and swatted him.

"Word got out." Padma said quietly, glancing round. "With you being the _Jedi-Who-Lived_ …"

Harry sighed and Padma hid a grin as she continued.

"…and all of that other hyphenated stuff you hate, the Owlery was absolutely empty this morning. Only Fay was left in there."

"Word did indeed get out." Flitwick said and Harry jolted before spinning round to stare at the Head of House who had somehow snuck up behind him. "Your duel with Malfoy and his helpers will be taking place outside. First though, if you could come up to the staff table?"

Harry rose and followed Flitwick. At the Slytherin table, he saw Professor Snape talking to Draco before the blond rose and followed Snape to the front of the hall. Following Flitwick's silent prompting, Harry turned to face the now-silent hall, then the doors opened and a pair of figures entered, one with midnight-black hair, the other with hair so blond it was almost white.

"Lord Black, Lord Malfoy, welcome to Hogwarts." McGonogall said as she rose from her chair. "We are honored by your presence this fine day."

"Thank you for inviting us." Sirius said and Malfoy glanced at him with annoyance before speaking.

"I am quite certain that like myself, Lord Black would not wish to miss this _interesting_ demonstration. I myself am intrigued by the chance to witness a trainee Jedi in action."

Harry almost smiled at the barb hidden in Malfoy's smooth speech.

"Oh yes!" Sirius said, slapping his hand to his head. "Harry, your mother sent a message, the fourth has been dealt with."

Malfoy frowned slightly. "The fourth? The fourth what?"

"Jedi business." Sirius shrugged, the corners of his mouth twitching as he tried not to grin. "Don't worry about it."

Malfoy's frown deepened when he saw Harry grinning.

"By the way," Sirius said, turning his attention to Draco, "Have you chosen your helpers? Who are they?"

Draco nodded stiffly. "I have, and they have honored my request by accepting. I call upon Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini."

Sirius frowned and made a production of counting on his fingers. "Ummm, Draco, much as I hate to cast doubt on your ability to handle numbers higher than one, that's only two."

"Lucien Bole asked if he could join us." Draco said as the aforementioned Slytherin stood up to join the other two he had named. "Because of the respect I have for him, I could not gainsay his request."

"Bole… Bole…" Sirius mused, then his eyebrows. "Ah yes, Bole! I met your dad once, didn't I? How is the old duellist?"

"Still limping." Lucien replied coldly, glaring at the grinning Sirius.

"I always knew he had a limp… you know." Sirius chortled, causing a wave of laughter to sweep the hall and Lucien visibly clenched his teeth. "Well, let's go… oh, I am sorry, Minnie, I didn't mean to try and take over."

"I'm sure." McGonogall replied in a desert-dry tone. "Seating has been set up outside, you may head out once you are finished eating."

"I brought popcorn!" Sirius stage-whispered, causing Harry to start laughing.

.

"Lord Black."

"Minister Fudge." Sirius replied with a polite nod. "I see that you decided to come and watch as well."

"Of curse." Fudge snorted. "I mean, the _Boy-Who-Lived_ fighting a duel, and voluntarily handicapping himself by not using magic but relying on this jeddar way."

" _Jedi_ way." Sirius corrected. "I've gone up against a Jedi myself… my second cousin is training to be a Jedi Blademaster, he's a true natural. In fact, there he is! Abraham!"

Fudge looked on in surprise as a young boy with a pronounced resemblance to Sirius walked over and bowed.

"Lord Black."

"Jedi Padawan Abraham Black, this is the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge and his toad… sorry, I mean _undersecretary_ Dolores Umbridge. Dolores, Cornelius, my cousin Abraham."

"Good to meet you." Cornelius smiled genially. "I bet you're awaiting the day you can go to Hogwarts."

"No sir, I'm a muggle." Abraham replied, causing Fudge's eyes to widen and Umbridge's to narrow in disgust.

"But… you're a Jedi? How can you be a muggle?"

"I cannot use magic, but I can use the Force." Abraham said, holding out his hand and levitating a stone from the path before releasing it. "I am a Jedi. I may not be a Jedi-Mage, but I am still a Jedi."

Before Fudge could reply, the noise of the assembled crowd rose and Sirius smirked.

"And here comes Harry and his victi… I mean _rivals_."

Fudge turned to watch the five boys step onto the raised dueling platform while Flitwick and Snape took positions at either end. A moment later, a familiar figure emerged from the crowd and strode forwards, every other step producing a wooden noise. Reaching the platform, he stepped onto it and nodded for Flitwick and Snape to begin raising the shields that would protect the audience. The crowd noise abruptly halted as he spoke.

"For those of you who do not know me, my name is Alistair Moody, Auror, retired. I was asked to oversee this duel and to ensure fair play. The rules are as follows, use of the Unforgivables means that you answer to _me_ and I warn you, the Dementors of Azkaban are kinder than I am. Any attempt to target a non-combatant will be met with deadly force. You begin when I say and stop when I say. Tano! I heard you agreed to take them all on at once, correct?"

Harry nodded as he shed his outer robe and began performing a few limbering-up exercises.

"I've set my lightsaber so that it stuns on contact."

Moody nodded. "Good. I've heard that on certain settings it can cut through anything and as such may count as a lethal spell or equivalent. "

"You can thank Luna Lovegood." Harry shrugged. "She made a couple of suggestions while she was building her lightsaber and to our amazement, we found that it worked. The rest of us rebuilt our lightsabers accordingly. Thank goodness for runic enchantments, that's all I'll say about it."

Moody nodded, his artificial eye rolling in its socket.

"Good. Tano, do you wish to go through with this?"

"I do."

"Malfoy, do you wish to go through with this?"

"Of course. As a _Pureblood_ , I could do no less." Draco sneered as he pulled a wand out of his sleeve. Behind him, the other three followed his action, although Lucien also moved sideways to clear some space around him. Moody frowned.

"Pre-loaded combat wands? Those are restricted."

Draco's sneer intensified. "They are perfectly legal for honor-duels."

Moody nodded unwillingly and stepped back, casting a shield around himself. "True. Then… begin!"

Harry activated his lightaber, the green blade matching his eyes almost perfectly,then whipped it round in a figure of eight as a trio of spells were fired at him. The spells bounced off his blade and the boys who fired them had to dive out of the way as their attacks were returned.

" _Expelliarmus!_ "

Harry spun and his humming blade reflected the bolt of light. Lucien froze, his face an almost comical picture of disbelief as the reflected disarming spell hit Draco, causing him to fly backwards while his wand arced through the air. As it landed, Harry stepped heavily on it, breaking it.

"You'll _pay_ for that, scarhead!" Draco snarled, pulling out his normal wand. "That wand was expensive! _Stupefy!_ "

Harry almost lazily reflected the spell, sending it towards Lucien, who blocked it with a hasty _Protego_ , then he thrust his hand out, using the Force to knock Draco off his feet. Theodore and Blaize glanced at each other, then started unleashing spells rapidly from their own pre-loaded wands. As the spells flashed towards Harry, he smiled and then started to dodge, seeming to dance between the bolts of light.

.

"That _has_ to be magic!" Dolores snarled and Sirius raised his hand, showing that he was holding a wand that was not his own.

"My godson asked me to hold his wand for him. Now, unless you think that he's using magic _without_ a wand…"

Dolores fired an angry glare at him, then shook her head jerkily.

"Then watch the power of a Jedi."

.

Theodore fell to the ground screaming in pain as the reflected bone-shattering curse impacted on his right shin. A Force-push by Harry slid him over to the edge of the stage, where Lucien stunned him before picking up the dropped battle-wand.

"Malfoy, catch!"

Draco caught the thrown wand and started to fire spells from it, then he dived sideways as a cutting hex scythed back at him, slicing through his robe but somehow avoiding actually drawing blood.

"You… _peasant_!" He shrieked. "You filthy blood-traitor! Do you know how _much_ these robes cost? I'll kill you for that, half-blood!"

Harry spun and deflected a hex fired by Lucien, then he seemed to blur forwards, passing between both Draco and Blaise as his lightsaber described a circle that briefly seemed to bisect both boys. With identical expressions of shock, they collapsed.

"I yield!"

Harry glanced at Lucien, who was placing his wands on the floor. "You yield? Why?"

"You have proven that you can deflect any spell I send at you, including the _Expelliarmus_. An area-effect spell _might_ work, but I don't know any at this time and none were loaded into the battle-wands. I have no chance of winning and no desire to be injured or stunned like the others with the resulting loss of prestige and respect. Therefore, I yield."

"Heh." Moody snorted. "Well said, very intelligent. I'd do the same in that situation. Tano wins. Kid, can I get lessons in that?"

Harry deactivated his lightsaber and returned it to his waist-sash before replying.

"That… depends, sir. May I test you to see if you have a Force affinity?"

Moody nodded and Harry reached up to touch his forehead. After a brief moment, he stepped back.

"Sorry, sir. You don't have a connection to the Force."

Moody shrugged. "Ah well, would have been nice. You won quite fast, kid. I've seen duels that lasted a full hour."

Harry shrugged. "It seemed unnecessary to drag it out. Besides, I wanted to see how Abraham was doing. Hey, Abe, care for a spar?"

Abraham leapt onto the now-unshielded stage and strode past where Snape and Flitwick were loading the three fallen Slytherins onto stretchers. "Sting or stun?"

"Sting." Harry said, his fingers twisting a ring around the pommel of his lightsaber. Abraham nodded and drew his own saber, igniting it.

"Sir, if you would?"

Moody grinned ferociously. "Okay, begin!"

The green and silver blades crashed against each other, then Harry disengaged and attacked again. Evading by a bare inch, Abraham somersaulted over Harry's head, his vertical slash almost making contact with the frantically-evading older boy. Another crash of sabers seemed to echo across the castle grounds and the two boys grinned at each other before disengaging and moving to attack once again, their combat seeming to be on the border between battle and dancing.

.

"…ow."

"You're not as rusty as I expected." Abraham smiled as he rubbed at his left arm. "That was a damned good counter, I'll have to remember that one."

Harry let one eye open just enough to let him glare up at the younger Jedi who was smiling down at him. "Dammit, I thought I was getting better."

"Speed, improvisation, agility… but your weakness is not your technique." Abraham returned. "Your Shii-Cho is indeed powerful, I had to resort to Juyo to counter it."

Harry sighed and let his head drop back onto the duelling platform. "How long before you get your knighthood again?"

"I still have a great deal to learn." Abraham shrugged, glancing round at the wide-eyed crowd. "You are far ahead of me in everything bar bladework."

"Didn't stop you kicking my ass all round the arena." Harry groaned and Abraham laughed.

"Well, it may be because I know my path." He smiled. "I intend to become a full Blademaster and to teach the ways of the lightsaber to the new trainees once I become a Jedi Knight. You, Luna and Hermione still have to choose your destinations before you can truly begin your journeys."

For a long moment, Harry stared at Abraham, then he shook his head.

"You've been pracising that, haven't you? The _zen_ of the Jedi."

Abraham smirked but didn't deny it.

"We never should have let you watch BraveStarr." Harry mourned. "You took to the Shaman character too much."

Abraham laughed at Harry's woebegone tone but didn't deny it.

"Excellent fight, Potter, Black." Moody growled as he stomped over. "I'd hate to go against you, either of you. Who trained you?"

"My mother." Harry said as he heaved himself into a sitting position.

"Lily?" Moody asked disbelievingly and Abraham shook his head.

"Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano, the one who adopted Harry after rescuing him from the Dursleys."

Moody nodded. "Ah, right. Can I meet her? From how she's got you two trained, I think that she'd be quite interesting."

"We'll see." Harry said diplomatically and Moody grunted before stomping off.

"Alright, show's over, you lot can skedaddle!"

Abraham offered his hand and when Harry grabbed it, helped him to stand.

"We'll have to do that again some time." He grinned.

"You just like thrashing me." Harry mock-protested, causing the younger Jedi to laugh. ****

.

* * *

.

The Great Hall went almost silent as Harry and his friends entered. The eyes of every student there stared at them as they moved to the Ravenclaw table and sat down.

"Wow." Ron said, looking round. "Harry, I think you're getting a fan club."

"He already has one." Hermione said almost absently, then she pounded Neville's back until he stopped choking on his drink.

"I do?" Harry blinked. "I don't remember having one."

"I think about half the girls here are fully paid-up members." Hermione noted as she helped herself to a bowl of porridge and some honey to drizzle over it. "It won't be long before they have posters of yesterdays duel."

Harry stared at her, his mouth working but unable to actually form words, then one of the Gryffindors who Harry vaguely recognized walked over, a roll of paper in her hand.

"H… hello, my name is Lily Moon. It's an honor to meet you, Lord Potter. Padawan Granger, Scion Longbottom, hi Ron."

"Hey, Lily." Ron said with a smile. "What do you think, Harry's awesome, isn't he? Hermione's just as good as he is."

Lily's eyes widened and flicked to Hermione, who was giving Ron a resigned glare. "R… really?"

"Yep." Ron smirked, then he looked at the rolled paper. "Is… that…?"

Lily unrolled the poster so that everyone could see it. On the poster, Harry watched himself and Abraham exchanging blows, each blocking and striking almost flawlessly with grins of pure enjoyment on their faces.

"I… was wondering…" Lily said slowly, then she seemed to gather herself. "Canyougetthatcuteboytosignthisforme?"

For a moment, everyone was silent as they decoded Lily's rushed request, then Harry blinked as Ron almost fell off the bench, roaring with laughter.

"Well." Hermione said with a wide grin as she stabilized Ron, "I guess that means that Abraham Black has a fan club now as well."

"I wonder if I can get membership." Tonks joked from behind them, causing Ron to jolt in shock, then grab at his chest and pretend to have a heart attack.

"Hey, Tonks." Harry grinned as Hermione dope-slapped Ron. "Have a seat."

"Thanks." Tonks said as she slipped onto the bench beside Hermione. "So, how's our hero today?"

.

* * *

.

The floo flared green and Cornelius Fudge emerged, looking round at the large entry hall.

"Minister Fudge, how kind of you to grace us with your presence."

Fudge lowered his gaze and pasted a smile on his face as he scurried forwards to shake the proffered hand of his largest financial backer. "Lord Black, thank you for inviting me. Mister Lupin, good morning."

"Please, call me Sirius." Black said as he clapped Fudge on his shoulder. "Tansy, please get a glass of the Minister's favorite. We shall be in the study."

"I have some paperwork that needs doing." Remus shrugged. "I'll see you after your meeting, padfoot."

Fudge ignored the House Elf that bowed and vanished as he walked beside Sirius down the lavish corridor of Potter Manor.

"Among other things, I thought that you'd have some questions about the Jedi, and so I got one to visit so that she can answer your questions. I don't know if you knew, but the daughter of Xenophilius Lovegood is training to become a Jedi."

Fudge's eyed brightened. "Ah! Excellent, several of the other Lords had complained that all the Jedi were halfbloods or muggleborns, now I can tell them that Purebloods are amongst their number as well!"

' _And it's almost certain that she'll be the only one if Hermione's theory is correct._ ' Sirius thought, making sure that his face didn't show anything, then he frowned slightly.

"I've been meaning to ask for months, why was the letter to the witch that the House of Black sponsored delivered so late?"

Fudge coughed. "Um, well, it was decided that with the _Boy-who-lived_ having spent so much time away from the magical world that the Ministry should have overseen his return…"

"And who was responsible for delivering the letters?"

"Oh, Dolores took charge of the letters, she said that she'd get them to those who deserved to go to Hogwarts."

Sirius facepalmed and Fudge looked at him curiously.

"Cornelius, I did some checking. Every single letter that was not delivered on time by Umbridge was meant to go to a muggleborn or to a halfblood with a muggle parent. She would have more than _halved_ this year's intake if one of the parents of a halfblood hadn't floo'd Headmistress McGonagall asking if the entry requirements had changed. In fact, I find myself asking if _Harry_ would have received his letter had Umbridge remained in charge of them."

Fudge blinked. "But… but…"

"Fudge. If you want me to continue to support you, keep Dolores away from _anything_ to do with Hogwarts or the DMLE." Sirius said firmly. "She's proven that she can't be trusted to remain impartial. Heck, I'm only surprised that she doesn't have a Dark Mark."

"She… she's an excellent aide…" Fudge blustered and Sirius stared at him, then sighed.

"You mean she has blackmail material on you. Alright, but at least try to keep her on a shorter leash. You are an excellent minister and I'd hate to have to move against you because of the unwarranted and unapproved actions of one of your underlings."

Fudge swallowed and nodded quickly.

"Excellent." Sirius smiled as he opened the door and led Fudge into the study, where two girls were writing something at his desk. "Hey girls."

"Hiya uncle padfoot!" "Hello mister Boardman."

Fudge blinked at the second greeting and looked at Sirius in confusion.

"Luna's father runs the Quibbler. I still don't know why, but he remains convinced that I'm actually Stubby Boardman, former lead singer of the Hobgoblins. Luna uses it to tease me. Please, have a seat."

Fudge sat in the indicated chair and Sirius flopped into the other chair in the conversational nook. An instant later, Tansy appeared holding a tray with four glasses on. The two firewhiskeys went to Sirius and Fudge, while the girls got odd bubbling drinks that Fudge didn't recognize.

"It's a muggle drink." Luna said, noting his confusion.

"But… how is that possible? It's… bubbling."

"It's a fizzy drink." Ginny shrugged. "Muggles can do amazing things these days."

"…oh."

Sirius took a sip of whisky, then gave the two girls a speaking glance. Within a minute, they had gathered their work and vacated the study. Sirius waited until the door was closed, then fired a spell at the small crystal statue on his desk. Fudge's eyes widened as a series of runes flickered across the walls.

"What…?"

"Privacy spells." Sirius said, all joking absent. "You can have your discussion with Luna afterwards. If it was up to me, we would not be telling you this, but I was over-ruled. Voldemort isn't gone."

Fudge dropped his (fortunately empty) glass. "What? But he… ten years… he couldn't…"

"CORNELIUS!" Sirius barked and Fudge froze. "Oh, he isn't _alive_ , but he isn't actually _dead_. Yet."

"Yet?" Fudge repeated and Sirius nodded.

"Yet. You see, Voldemort created special anchors to prevent his spirit from passing over if he died. His spirit is still around, waiting for one of his followers to provide him with a new body."

Fudge's already pale face went bloodless.

"Several friends of mine have been working on this problem, and we've already found and neutralized _four_ of his six anchors." Sirius continued. "Once we find and destroy the final two, the problem will be over and Voldemort will be no more. We know that one of his anchors is at Hogwarts, we think it's in the Chamber of Secrets and Hermione believes that she's found the entrance to it. We'll be heading in on Saturday to locate and destroy that anchor."

"Leaving one." Fudge whispered.

"We know what it is." Sirius said calmly. "We know that it was given to one of Voldemort's followers to keep hold of. We don't know _who_ , but we have suspicions."

Fudge nodded.

"What we need from you… is a news blackout." Sirius said. "One of our number isn't fully human. We need you to stop anyone from trying to do anything stupid, such as attempting to invoke the _Control of Magical Beasts_ laws in an attempt to harm her. It'll be a while yet before the protection I've arranged for her kicks in, we need another six months. Without her, we probably can't find the final anchor, and Voldemort could return. And I'm sure that we don't want that. Right?"

Fudge nodded frantically.

"Good." Sirus said, picking up Fudge's glass and letting Tansy refill it before handing it over to the shaking minister. "I always knew that you were a wise man. Now before I let you interview Padawan Luna, do you have any questions that need answering?"

.

* * *

.

"…but he _cheated_!" Draco whined. "He must have done, there were _four_ of us!"

Snape sighed and managed to prevent himself from rubbing his forehead in exasperation as he looked at the young Malfoy.

"He did not cheat, Draco."

Draco froze, then gave the speaker a betrayed look.

"Thank you, Lucius." Snape sighed. "Please, carry on."

"Draco, if anyone cheated, it was you and your friends. _No_ , hear me out." Lucius Malfoy leaned back in his chair, fixing his son with a gimlet gaze. "I made sure that you had as many advantages as possible. Dueling robes with shielding runes woven into them, pre-loaded combat wands with advanced spells, training in how to use them… and yet he won _without_ using magic."

Draco pouted.

"That is not to say that the Jedi way is superior to wizard ways." Lucius continued. "If I had to fight a Jedi, I would keep my distance and use area-effect spells that their… lightsabers could not block. The advantage that the Jedi have at the moment is that _we_ do not know all their capabilities, and so we cannot plan for them, while _they_ have a very good idea of ours. That gives them the advantage… _for now_."

Draco nodded unwillingly.

"You will observe _only_. You will not seek a confrontation, in fact you will actively _avoid_ one, but you will keep an eye out for any detail, no matter how small, that even _hints_ at the abilities of the Jedi. Do you understand? Good."

.

* * *

.

Harry looked at the pale-faced Weasley twins.

"They need," "A warning sign," "on the door of," "that tower."

"So, to reiterate, you entered the room at the bottom of the forbidden tower and the ceiling immediately started to collapse."

Both twins nodded and Harry glanced at Hermione.

"That doesn't make sense." Hermione mused. "I mean, with the things in the upper rooms that you spotted through the windows… and it only starts collapsing _when_ someone enters?"

"An illusion, maybe?" Harry shrugged. "Enough to send any curious child running, but doesn't actually risk harming them?"

Hermione slowly nodded. "That would make sense. I'd have to see it myself to be sure."

"We have a free period." Harry shrugged. "I don't see why not, but _only_ the first chamber. I think that should we want to see what's at the top, we need to use another method."

Hermione stared at him. "Do you have one?"

"Well," Harry mused. "I'm suddenly _very_ grateful for what is in my wardrobe."

Fred and George stared at him in confusion.

.

Dumbledore leaned back in the comfortable chair in the suite that Minerva had been happy to let him use and pondered the meaning of what he had seen. By the window, Fawkes sang, his soothing trills helping Albus to look dispassionately at what had happened.

It was completely clear that Albus' original plan was totally worthless now. Four of the six Horcruxes that Riddle had created were no more, only a diary and Diadem remained, with the latter almost certainly concealed in the Chamber of Secrets and thus available for collection. By sharing information, rather than hoarding it, Albus had seen two-thirds of Riddle's plan to return being destroyed.

And he now knew where all three of the Hallows were.

The Elder Wand, created for the oldest Peverell brother by Death himself was his to use, having been wrested from Grindelwald's grasp. Should Riddle return, he would see to it that Harry got the wand, for he would probably need it, as he had explained to Jedi Tano.

The Resurrection stone, given to the middle brother, was being cleansed at Gringotts. Although not in his power, Albus had informed Sirius, Remus and King Ragnok of the Goblin Nation about the true identity of the gem on the Gaunt ring, and all of them had agreed to hold the Stone in a safe place where it could be accessed if needed by the holder of the other two Hallows, something which meant that Albus didn't have to worry about resisting the urge to summon his deceased sister.

And the Cloak, the heirloom that had been passed down through the Potter line for generations until James Potter had loaned it to him and he had returned to to young Harry at Sirius' urging.

With all three, Harry could become the Master of Death and defeat Riddle forever.

The original plan which culminated in Harry sacrificing himself was now un-needed, in fact it was worse than useless, but the events which had taken place… meant that a brighter future was possible. A better future, a greater one.

And Albus still prayed that he would be able to help the Wizarding World leave behind the corruption and violence that had marred it for far too long.


	16. Unforeseen Circumstances

Harry looked across the grounds of Hogwarts towards the main gate, his expression reflecting his confusion.

"So, no idea why your mum said she wasn't coming through the Rune Door?" Ron asked and Harry shook his head.

"None at all. She only said that she'd be here at ten, along with a few friends of hers."

Hermione glanced up from the book she was reading and cocked her head. "Anyone hear that? It sounds like a jet plane."

Harry frowned as he concentrated, using the Force to sharpen his senses. "Yeah… I hear it too."

"So do I." Neville said, craning his neck to look at the sky. "It sounds like the muggle planes that sometimes fly near the house."

"Weird." Ron muttered as the main door opened behind them. "Headmistress!"

"Good morning." Minerva said, looking round. "I was expecting to see your… what in Merlin's name?"

The whine of the jets turned into a roar as two flying vehicles with angular, downswept wings and two cockpits crested the hill and swerved to come to a hovering stop barely a hundred meters from the main castle door. As the two craft descended, Harry laughed in delighted recognition.

"Larties! They're larties! So _that's_ the secret project that mum refused to tell me about!"

"L… larties?" Hermione whispered as the sides of the craft swung out and folded back, revealing the aft part of the craft was a troop compartment filled with armour-clad helmeted soldiers. Although all the soldiers wore rounded T-visored helmets, each trooper had their own color scheme with runes, symbols or images drawn on.

"Low Altitude Assault Transports, Infantry variant." Harry explained, grinning hugely as the two craft came to a halt less than half a meter from the ground. "I've seen pictures, but I never thought I'd see the real thing."

"These aren't _quite_ the real thing." Came a familiar voice and one of the troopers removed his helmet, revealing the familiar face of Remus Lupin. "We still haven't managed to find a way to make the lasers work without the special blaster gasses required, so we used miniguns and machine guns instead. The engines are partially magical, as are the repulsorlift systems. We haven't quite managed to duplicate the superconductors needed for non-magical lift units, but we've got several researchers and even an alchemist working on it."

"Wow." Harry breathed as the LAAT/i's disgorged their passengers. "And the troopers?"

"Easy enough." One of the troopers said as she removed her helmet to reveal a face that Harry vaguely recognized. "You remember the village of werewolves Lord Black established? Well, we've been training. Jedi Tano was kind enough to tell us as much as she knew about the Mandalorian culture, we've used it to build our own. No more trying to pretend to be wizardkind or running like beasts, we're warriors and _proud_ of it!"

"We're Alpha Squad." Another trooper announced. "Alphas, _howl_!"

The troopers unleashed an unearthly howl that caused quite a few of the students who had come running at the appearance of the LAAT/i's to halt in their tracks and in a few cases, reverse direction.

"Merlin." Minerva breathed. "They're all… werewolves…"

"We are." The woman said with a predatorial grin. "Lord Black gave us a home, Alpha Remus gave us direction and Lady Tano gave us a chance to regain our pride. We are the Wolfalorians, the new protectors of the innocent and the hunters of the Death Eaters."

"And they are our backup for facing the Basilisk." Remus finished. "Our visors should protect us somewhat, instead of the basilisk's gaze killing us, it should merely petrify us instead, and our potions master has already brewed enough Mandrake potion to restore all of us if need be. I also have polarised glasses here for all of you, it should give you the same level of protection."

"And I shall lead the way."

Harry laughed with joy as he sprinted towards the cloaked figure, wrapping his arms around her even as her arms closed around him.

"Mum!"

"Son."

For a perfect moment, they simply held each other, then Harry slowly stepped back, looking up and seeing her eyes twinkling at him from above her veil.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, mum."

"Nice place." Another voice said and Ahsoka waved for the speaker and his group to approach.

"We were lucky enough to get the team that helped us to retrieve and destroy the Ring." She said. "Let me introduce you…"

.

"So you decided to teach them about the Mandalorians because…?"

"Because they reminded me of them." Ahsoka replied, smiling down at her son as they walked down the halls of Hogwarts. "Loyal, fierce, honorable, deadly, caring… all traits of the Mandalorians I've fought alongside. Some of the best troopers of the Clone Army were trained by Mandalorians, one of my fellow Jedi even resigned from the Order to become one."

From behind them, Ron paused from telling his oldest brother about how Hogwarts had been and whistled. "Wow, that's incredible. So, the Mandalorians fought alongside the Jedi?"

"Some did." Ahsoka shrugged. "Some fought for the Seperatists. You see, the Mandalorians are notoriously independent. They'll die before breaking their word, but they follow only those they choose to follow and refuse to be pressured into doing anything they don't believe should be done."

"…cool." Harry whispered.

"What about the Rangers?" Ron asked worriedly. "Does that mean the Rangers aren't going to happen any more?"

"Why shouldn't they?" Ahsoka returned. "After all, the more allies the Jedi Order has, the more it can protect the innocent."

Ron nodded, a relieved look on his face.

"Here." Hermione said, coming to a halt outside a door. Opening it, she glanced round, then stepped inside. "Hello, Myrtle."

"Hello, Hermione." The ghost said, floating forwards. "Who are your friends? Oh! Harry! Welcome back!"

Harry blushed slightly as he felt everyone looking at him. "Ummm, the last time I was here, I helped Hermione to beat a troll."

"It was _amazing_." Myrtle breathed. "Hermione kept trying to do something that pushed the troll away from her, then Harry appeared and just _threw_ the troll into the wall."

Several mutters of approval sounded, then Hissy turned to Hermione.

"I am wondering where it is you are seeing the symbol."

"Just…" Hermione paused, then walked along the line of sinks. "Here! This one."

Hissy joined her and ducked down to look at the engraving. "This is an interesting carving that is looking like it is a rune. I am feeling it trying to activate my parseltongue abilities."

"Is it passworded?" Lucky asked and Hissy smirked.

"In India, that would indeed be being the case, but there are so few with serpent-speech here that I am thinking that a simple command would be doing it."

"A simple command? Like what?"

_{{Open.}}_

The sink started to slide sideways as the bricks in the wall shifted and retracted, moving and rearranging themselves to form a large hole. Hissy looked at the smooth tunnel descending into blackness.

_{{Stairs. Lights.}}_

The smooth floor of the sloping tunnel flexed with the slabs changing their angle to form a flight of stairs. At the same time, a series of crystals shaped to look like snake eyes lit up near the top of the walls, turning the tunnel from a dark and foreboding tube into an illuminated stairway.

"Nice." Bill noted. "Okay, who's first?"

"Harry, Hermione, Ron, you stay up here. If the tunnel closes, open it again." Ahsoka commanded. "I'll head down first, my danger senses are better than anyone else's _and_ I'm a Parselmouth. Remus, you and two of the Alphas are with me, then the Gringotts team, and then the rest of the Alphas as rearguard. Headmistress, I recommend that you remain up here, I'd prefer not to risk you on this."

Minerva nodded. "I'll watch over the children for you."

"Children?" Ron huffed. "Who are you calling children?"

"You are only eleven." Minerva returned coolly. "Until you reach seventeen, you remain a child."

Harry coughed theatrically and Minerva sighed.

"Alright, legally _you_ are no longer a child, Lord Potter. But I'll still keep an eye on you."

Harry sighed as Ahsoka gave him a firm glare. "All right, all right. But if you don't return in two hours, I'm coming down after you."

"Agreed." Ahsoka said and she turned towards the now-not-so-secret entrance. "Let's go."

Harry watched as his mother strode down the stairs, followed by the others.

"I hope they'll be alright." Hermione fretted, then she relaxed as Ron draped his arm across her shoulders.

"A Jedi, a Curse-breaking team and a group of werewolves in armour?" He chuckled. "Whatever's down there doesn't stand a chance. Trust me."

"Hey guys!" Tonks said from the bathroom door. "I saw those things outside on the lawn and just _knew_ they had something to do with you. Spill!"

.

"Bloody hell!"

Bill Weasley stared at the pile of snake-skin in the tunnel.

"Basilisk." Grunted Gripblade, lightly stroking it. "The skin is about… fifty years old, give or take a couple of years. Too old for use in armor and too fragile for shields, but still useful for lining walls to create practice or ritual chambers. As per our agreement, Gringotts gets first refusal."

"It's almost sixty feet long!" Bill gasped, lowering his wand as the measuring spell faded. "How long has the basilisk been here?"

"Probably since the time of the founders." Lucky mused.

"Salazar." Gripblade grunted. "No wonder Riddle chose to hide the diadem down here. Salazar's secret chamber _with_ Basilisk guardian. Only a Gringotts vault would be safer."

"And we know he used one of those for another of his anchors." Ahsoka noted as she resumed her progress down the tunnel, Remus by her side with wand in one hand and gun in the other.

Soon, they came to a large set of stone doors emblazoned with a pair of snakes. Moving to the front of the group, Lucky cast a few spells.

"No sign of any dark curses or traps. I think it's safe."

 _{{Open.}}_ Ahsoka hissed and the snakes seemed to writhe before the door slid open with a slight near-hissing noise. _{{Lights on.}}_

The stygian blackness on the other side of the doors faded as more crystals started to provide illumination, revealing a large stone cave with pillars looking like coiled snakes supporting the room. At one end, rising from a pool of water, a large statue loomed. Ahsoka stepped into the cave and paused as the Wolfalorians formed a perimeter around the Gringotts team.

"Several sources of magic, all of it with a base thirteen matrix." Lucky said after a few moments of spellcasting. "Parselmagic. Hissy…"

"I am understanding." Hissy said with a nod. "I am suggesting we start at that end and be working our way towards the statue."

"Agreed." Said Gripblade, looking round. "Salazar probably hid hundreds of things here."

"And Riddle probably hid the diadem behind the Basilisk." Ahsoka sighed. "Alright, let's get moving."

.

"…wow." Tonks breathed. "So your mother is trying to recreate all of the technology that she grew up with as well as finding ways of using magic with it? That's just… amazing."

Harry shrugged and glanced over to where Hermione was meditating, floating almost three feet above the floor.

"If mum had arrived a couple of decades ago, it would have been impossible." He explained. "The muggle world has really advanced in technology over the last thirty years, they even have passenger planes that travel faster than the speed of sound."

"No way!" Minerva gasped and Harry nodded.

"And the rate of progress is increasing. Wolftech Industries has already opened almost a dozen factories producing personal computers and telecommunication infrastructure."

Minerva looked totally lost.

"Think Muggle Floo calls." Harry added. "The Potter and Black fortunes have almost doubled already."

Minerva shook her head. "How advanced _is_ the muggle world?"

"Pretty advanced." Tonks shrugged. "I know that _I'm_ having trouble keeping up with it, and as an Auror, I need to be able to operate there if need be."

"According to Sirius, making muggle studies compulsory for wizard-born has already led to the number of obliviations required being halved." Harry grinned. "Given the security technology that's being developed, that's probably a good thing."

Both Tonks and McGonagall looked at him curiously.

.

"Only the statue left." Gripblade said, glancing back at the small pile of expanded trunks that held all the things they had discovered. "We've located Slytherin's library, his potions workshop, his ritual room..."

"And my portrait." Came a haughty voice. "Maybe _now_ I can finally have a halfway decent conversation with someone, you have no _idea_ how boring it is to be trapped for over a century with only three others to talk to, excluding that damned upstart who claimed to be my descendant. I need to get my other frames back onto the walls and find out how my House has managed without my guidance."

"…and one portrait of a rather annoying dead wizard." Gripblade finished, smirking as an annoyed grunt sounded. "That just leaves the statue. Jedi Tano, if you would?"

Ahsoka stepped forwards, adjusting her glasses. _{{Release the Guardian to protect the School.}}_

For a long moment, nothing happened, then a voice sounded.

"Who the blazes changed my password?"

"…oh hell." Ahsoka grumbled, rubbing her forehead as the portrait of Salazar Slytherin began uttering threats aimed at the person who had altered the protections on his masterwork. "Dammit, I think I need to look at those memories again."

"Didn't you get _all_ of his memories when you destroyed his Horcrux?" Remus asked and Ahsoka shook her head.

"No, just those he was thinking about at the time he tried to kill my son, and a few other bits and pieces. It was mainly skills, abilities and specific branches of knowledge, such as the english language. Older memories didn't carry across. _Damn_. I wonder if I could simply carve through that thing?"

"I placed a great many protections on it." Salazar said. "It would not surprise me if young Tom added more. My advice is to place a monitoring charm for now . Why do you need to get in there, anyway? Anything magical placed in there would be destroyed or disenchanted by the spells that keep _Sssthlssth_ in her healing sleep."

"What?" Ahsoka gasped. "Then where in the Cloak of the Sith did he hide his horcrux?"

"Where did he hide his _WHAT_?!" Salazar exploded, face contorted in fury. ****

.

* * *

_._

"…so," Minerva said slowly, rubbing at her forehead, "If I'm understanding it right, your mother, who comes from another _planet_ , is overseeing the advancement of muggle technology, seeking to reach the point where they will be able to make contact with the Old Republic, at which time the whole Statute of Secrecy will be pretty pointless and the Magical world will encouraged to merge with the muggle world since with other life out there, the muggles targeting us simply because we have magic will become a purely academic threat."

"That sounds about right." Harry admitted. "According to Sirius, the Ministry is already having considerable problems keeping the existence of magic a secret, in another decade or so, the Statute won't be able to protect us any more."

Tonks nodded. "I've talked to Sirius and Remus about it as well, and Harry's right. The muggle world is getting too good at putting things together and finding all the loose ends."

"And that's one reason for the Jedi Order." Harry finished. "With our knowledge of both societies, we can help to smooth out the problems as they arise and when Earth finally makes contact with the Old Republic, the Republic Jedi and the Earth Jedi will be able to work together to smooth the transition. With Wolftech Industries becoming an economic powerhouse, it gives us financial and godwill reserves for when we need them. Mom's been very busy."

Minerva stared at the young boy, her thoughts whirling at the sheer scope of the plans he had hinted at.

"How long has she been planning _that_?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm not certain, I think it was after we met Sirius that she really began making plans. She's coming up!"

Minerva turned to face the staircase and a moment later, she heard the sound of footsteps ascending. The footsteps drew closer, then the team emerged from the hole.

"No go." Remus sighed and Harry's eyes opened wide. "We found where the Basilisk is resting, but _someone_ changed the password. We've put in monitoring charms in case anyone tries to open it, but the diadem wasn't down there. During the summer holidays, Hissy is going to try and unravel the spells with Sal's help to figure out the new password."

"I _know_ he placed it in a secret room at Hogwarts." Ahsoka fumed as she emerged from the archway. "How many secret rooms does this pile of rock have?"

"At least twenty that _I_ am aware of. Of course, the castle was smaller back then." A cultured voice stated and Minerva's already-wide eyes enlarged further as two Wolfalorians carrying a painting of Salazar Slytherin emerged.

"Headmistress Minerva McGonogall, meet the portrait of Salazar Slytherin." Remus said formally. "We promised we'd help him get the Founder's Portraits back to their proper positions."

Minerva opened and closed her mouth, totally speechless and the man in the portrait smirked at her dumbfounded expression.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" He barked _{{Close.}}_

The entrance closed, the sinks sliding back into position and Salazar looked round.

"First, we need to get to the Central Tower. I was out of my other portraits when they got moved, so…"

"The Tower exists?" Minerva gasped and Salazar nodded.

"We hid it under a Fidelius set to activate if anyone tried to deactivate any portion of the wardings around Hogwarts or if the Tower got sealed. From my main portrait, I can sense that quite a few of the wards have been powered down, and several of the warding stones seem to have been purposefully misaligned. The sooner we get them sorted, the better."

"Which wards…?" Minerva started and Salazar glared at her.

"We were training brats who thought they could do anything with their magic, brats who often hated each other! We needed _something_ to persuade them that firing slicing spells at each others backs wasn't a good idea, so we mirror-warded the school. Any spell fired outside the classrooms are instantly reflected back to the caster."

"…even the Avada Kedavra spell?" Minerva half-whispered.

"By Merlin's beard, that life-ending-spell is the easiest spell to stop!" Salazar sneered. "You just hit it with a _Lumos_ and it disrupts the spell-matrix."

Hermione finally lost her fight against the giggles as Tonks' eyes grew to almost-anime proportions.

"Alright." Minerva said. "Harry, you and your friends go do whatever you want to do, you can use the Rune Door. Remus, you're with me…"

"May I suggest that Ahsoka joins us?" Remus interjected and Minerva looked at the cloaked woman before nodding.

"Since we aren't needed, we'll head back to Gringotts." Gripblade stated. "We'll use the Rune Door as well, if that's alright with you."

"Of course." Minerva said, then she looked at the armoured crowd.

"Most of us will take one of the larties back." The leader said. "We'll leave two of us here to carry ol' snakey for you, they'll return with Jedi Tano."

From his portrait, Salazar glared at the armoured werewolf.

" _Old snakey_?"

.

"Hmmph. Took you all long enough to get me here." Salazar sniffed and the two Wolfalorians holding his painting glared at him. "Well, what are you waiting for? Open the Tower."

"…from here?" Minerva saked and Salazar facepalmed.

"Yes! From here! You _do_ see the Hogwarts shield on the wall? Tap the animals in alphabetical order with your wand, twice."

Minerva shrugged and pulled her wand out of her sleeve. Moving to the bas-relief decoration, she lightly tapped the end of her wand to the badger, the lion, the raven and then the snake before repeating. For a few seconds, nothing happened, then the shield moved slightly forwards and split into quarters, each quarter sliding diagonally outwards. As the segments separated, the hole hidden behind the shield expanded until it created a doorway with an animal anchoring each corner.

"The Founders Tower." Salazar announced smugly. "Now that you've opened it, the Fidelius is down and the other doors are accessible. If you want to close this door, just repeat the opening technique, but backwards. Doing so will re-establish the Fidelius, however. Now, put me down and I'll join you inside."

Salazar vanished from his portrait and the two Wolfalorians shrugged and leaned the now-empty portrait against the wall. Minerva shrugged and entered the vault with Remus following her. The short corridor led to a huge circular chamber lined with shelves, bookcases, scroll-racks and, prominently displayed at the end, a large portrait of the four Founders, three of whom were in the process of waking up.

All of this, however, was of secondary importance compared to the slowly-rotating three-foot rune-covered granite sphere hovering above a ring of waist-high crystalline stones, each of which had its own set of engraved runes inscribed on it.

"…the Heart of Hogwarts…" Minerva breathed reverently. "…lost for over three hundred years…"

"Because that bloody git who decided he wanted to shape the future his own way hid all of our other portraits, didn't tell anyone about this room and messed with the wards." Salazar fumed. "But we got him anyway, when we shredded his portrait."

"The Forgotten Headmaster." Remus realized. "The only Headmaster to not have a Portrait in the Headmaster's office."

Salazar smirked. "And even his name is lost. Now then, although he was a bloody git, at least he didn't destroy our other portraits, he just hid them upstairs."

"We'll get them for you." Said one of the werewolves as the duo moved towards the staircase that led up on the right of the chamber.

"It'll be good to be able to talk to another male who _isn't_ a complete dunderhead." Salazar grumped and Minerva hurriedly tried to fight down her giggles. "What?"

"That's… a phrase that the current Head of Slytherin likes to use."

"Really? Sounds like someone I could get along with. Unlike _him_."

"Ah, Sal, you know you'd be lost without me." Godric grinned, stretching. "Ah, visitors. Pray tell, which year is it now? When we decided to sleep, 'twas the year of our lord sixteen-fifty and Cromwell had slain the King. How long have we slumbered?"

"It's nineteen-ninety-one." Remus supplied, causing several of the portraits to exchange glances. "The United Kingdom still has a Royal Family but the Magical and muggle worlds are now separated by the International Statute of Secrecy."

"Hmph. Muggles probably went crazy again." Salazar sniffed.

"You dislike muggles?" Ahsoka queries and Salazar shrugged.

"Dislike, yes. Hate, no. If not for them, we wouldn't have any muggleborn or half-blood and the wizarding world would die out due to terminal inbreeding and power-loss. No, the reason I dislike them is that muggles are emotional morons who refuse to think and instead rely on emotions to make their decisions. And they don't wash. Hygeine is essential for potions and so on and most muggles think that dirt is holy or nonsense like that. It takes _ages_ to get that mindset cured."

"Most muggles _thought_ that." Remus corrected with a wry grin. "They've advanced quite a bit since your day. Now they can talk across the globe, watch moving images without magic and perform many other feats using tamed lightning. It's what they call _technology_."

"Really?" The tall, dark-haired woman asked, face alight with curiosity. "That's amazing, how far have they progressed?"

"I'd like to know that as well." Said the dumpy red-haired witch.

"They probably understand hygiene better than most wizardborn." Remus shrugged, causing Salazar to raise an eyebrow at them. "As for technology… I've seen flying vehicles that can travel faster than sound."

"Impressive." Godric noted, then he paused before walking out of the frame. A moment later, his voice sounded from the stairs. "Excellent! Tonight, we rejoin our students!"

"They got the Great Hall portrait!" the shorter witch laughed. "Oh, I'm so looking forwards to seeing how our students are getting on!"

" _Our_ students, Helga?" Salazar asked acerbically. "You remember how long we've been portraits? And how long you lot have been sleeping?"

"Oh, hush." Helga smiled, gently stroking Salazar's cheek. "You know as well as I do that _anyone_ who attends our school is a student of ours. Alright everyone, to the Hall portrait, let's get it back on the wall."

The trio moved to join Godric as the two werewolves manhandled the portrait down the stairs.

"Tally ho! Down another two flights, then out of the main door!" Godric called. Minerva watched the large portrait vanish with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, that was… unusual. I don't think that anything else will be able to surprise me today… _what in Merlin's name_?"

Ahsoka finished lowering her hood and smiled reassuringly at the shocked headmistress.

"Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, may I formally introduce you to Harry Potter's adoptive mother, Ahsoka Tano, a Togruta from the planet Shili."

Minerva stared at Ahsoka, then she shook her head and extended a hand.

"My apologies for staring… Remus, stop smirking like that!"

Ahsoka shook her head. "We are fortunate that Sirius isn't here. Imagine the jokes _he_ would have made."

Minerva shuddered then suddenly the Floo flared and a head appeared.

"Where's Albus? Where's Sirius? What's going on? Luci… I mean I've been told there's a Basilisk in the school and… Ahhh! A demon!"

The head vanished before anyone could react and for a long moment, no-one moved.

"That… was Fudge…" Minerva managed and Remus' eyes widened.

"Oh Merlin! Tano, we need to leave NOW! All units fall back to the Larty!"

Minerva gave him a curious look, then her eyes fixated on the helmet from which a voice was issuing.

"Are you sure, Alpha? We've just finished hanging the picture and are on our way back to the office."

"Broken shield!" Remus snapped as he donned his helmet. "Move!"

Minerva blinked as Remus sprinted out of the office and down the stairs, followed by Ahsoka.

"What the heck is going on?" She murmured, then she felt the wards twitch as the gates opened.

.

"It's the demon the Minister warned us about! Kill it!"

Ahsoka drew her lightsaber and deflected the spell in one smooth movement as she, Remus and the other two Wolfalorians sprinted out of the main entrance. A dozen Aurors broke off from firing spells at the evading Larty to join their colleague in attacking her. With the volume of spellfire a fraction of what it was, the Larty dived towards them, opening its port door.

"Head for the Larty!" Ahsoka commanded, her lightsaber a twisting blur as it sent the spells ricocheting back to the wizards who had cast them. "I'll divert them, then leap aboard as you fly over!"

Remus nodded and peeled off, his wand busy as he countered and deflected the spells heading for him. The Larty swerved as it descended, turning to interpose itself between the Aurors and the Wolfalorians even as the Aurors started to fall to their spells that were bounced back at them.

"Demon! On behalf of the leader of the Department of Magical Beasts, you are ordered to surrender yourself for disection!" One of the Auror's shouted. "Aveda Kadavra!"

Remus' breath caught in his throat as the green bolt seemed to glide in slow motion towards Ahsoka, only for her to catch it on the blade of her saber, sending it to hit a boulder that shattered under the impact, the stone shrapnel causing several more Aurors to fall, clutching at their bleeding wounds.

"AHSOKA!"

Ahsoka hurled herself into the air and reached out, grabbing Remus' proffered hand. Using all his strength, he hauled her aboard as the Larty accelerated away from Hogwarts. For a few moments, the only sound in the compartment was the four gasping for air, then Remus removed his helmet and grinned wryly.

"Well, on the whole, I think that _that_ could have gone better."


	17. Plans Changed

_**Martial Law Imposed  
** _ _By Rita Skeeter_

_In a shocking development today, the Minister of Magic declared Martial Law after evidence of forbidden necromagery/summoning was discovered at Hogwarts. While attempting to ascertain the truth behind rumors that a Basilisk resided in the very building in which many of our beloved children learn how to use magic, our brave Minister discovered that someone had managed to summon a demon!  
_ _A team of highly-trained Aurors were sent to take the Demon into captivity so that it could be magically dissected by the Department of Mysteries in the hope of finding out who had summoned it and for what purpose, but to no avail. An army of ferocious werewolves, led by none other than the Noble House of Black Proxy Remus Lupin, mercilessly assaulted the law-enforcement operatives, injuring over half of them before they escaped in a muggle flying machine apparently known as a flarty.  
_ _Although it remains the position of the Ministry that the werewolves involved were under the Imperious curse, action has nonetheless been taken. As of this morning, it is illegal for any werewolf to own a wand or to work in a place of business alongside wizards. Cornelius Fudge had this to say.  
_ " _Although we all thought of demons as beings wiped out in the days of Merlin, they walk among us today, controlling Dark Creatures in an attempt to strike down everything we've worked for. Since the demon has controlled Mr Lupin, the Ministry has no choice but to void all rules passed in the last five years and to re-establish pureblood supremacy. In fact, since the Demon is associated with attempting to raise lesser beings to equality with wizarding kind, we will be reinforcing our society and shaping it how it should be in order to withstand the assaults of the Demon and its servants."  
_ _Former Headmistress McGonogall has been temporarily removed from her position and questioned under Veratiserum for all information about the Demon and its actions in Hogwarts, questioning which has revealed that the Demon is the being who stole The-Boy-Who-Lived from his relatives and probably framed them for abuse that they truly did not commit._

_The new Werewolf regulations – Pages 2 and 3  
_ _The new Blood-status rules – Pages 4 to 6  
_ _Demons in history – Pages 7 and 8  
_ _The-Boy-Who-Lived: Evil Summoner or Brainwashed Puppet? – Pages 9 and 10  
_ _Lord Black Blacklisted – Page 11  
_ _Potter Alliance: A threat to our way of life? – Pages 12 to 14_

"Oh, that is _so_ not good." Sirius grumbled as he slapped the copy of the _Daily Prophet_ onto the table. "Everything we've worked for, Everything! _Gone_ because of that bloody nincompoop! I told you we shouldn't have told him anything!"

"We've already pulled Hermione out of Hogwarts." Emma Granger said, glancing at the others in the room. "If you haven't done it, I'd recommend doing the same as fast as possible."

"I've set the Hogwarts Rune Door to break once we've finished getting the children out." Remus said from his position behind Sirius. "Molly, I hope you don't mind, but I've sent a message pulling all your boys out."

"Thanks, Remus." Molly sighed in relief then she shook her head. "What do we do now? Arthur's already resigned from the Ministry and headed over to America to find a new job."

"We have to retreat, regroup and reinforce." Ahsoka said from her seat beside Sirius. "It's my fault, I shouldn't have lowered my hood. I forgot about the Floo."

"If Fudge hadn't leapt to his insane conclusions, nothing would have happened." Sirius said reassuringly as he picked up the paper again. "But… oh shite!"

"Language!" Molly said reflexively.

"Malfoy's taken position as Chief Inquisitor of the Wizengamot for the course of the emergency!" Sirius snarled, staring at the paper. "Who the hell thought it was a good idea to give _him_ unlimited power…"

"Fudge." Remus guessed and Sirius nodded.

"This is _not_ good. By this time tomorrow, they'll probably be massing at the wards. Thank Merlin that Gringotts is a neutral bank but I'll have to empty out several of the Black Vaults before the Ministry can twist the law to grab them. Ahsoka, I'd recommend shifting the Potter vaults too. Molly, same for the Weasley vault."

"We don't have much in there, but I'll do it tonight." Molly agreed. "Where do we go?"

"Black Island, for now at least." Sirius said. "I have a Rune Door set for there. It's Unplottable, warded even more than Hogwarts and large enough for everyone to live there, self sufficient if need be. My ancestors were bloodthirsty, racist, inbred gits, but they knew how to plan. I'll open the way and we get the children through first."

"What about the Wolftech factories?" Ahsoka asked and Remus barked with laughter.

"The factories are in the _muggle_ world. Purebloods generally despise muggles, especially the sods that Fudge has gathered to himself. No, Wolftech is safe for now, but we'll slowly shift the factories to Black Island or America anyway. Set up Rune Doors as entrances and exits and no-one will be able to tell the difference."

Before Ahsoka could respond, a knock sounded on the door, then it opened, admitting an elderly couple.

"We did it!" The man exulted.

"Did what, Nicolas?"

"The room-temperature superconductor that Lady Tano described to us, we've duplicated it! Now we simply need to manufacture it in large amounts and the stars will be ours to explore!"

"Calm down, dear." The woman smiled. "Siri, I apologise for my husband's exuberance. The thought of new worlds to explore… well, we'll be taking back our Stone from Hogwarts so that we can roam the stars."

"Sure thing, Penny." Sirius grinned, then he frowned. "Ah, we could have a problem."

"Not really." Ahsoka smirked. "My son told me about the weakness in the defenses. We can be in and out before anyone notices we were there."

.

"Let me get this straight." Growled Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, glaring at the suddenly-less-than-confidant green-hatted man. "Despite the fact that I have my own problems, you want me to order _Her Majesty's_ armed forces to use the heaviest weapons available to destroy the protections on houses of people you _think_ are allied with a being that only exists in religious mythology?"

"I saw it with my own eyes." Fudge whined. "It had red skin and striped horns!"

Maggie leaned back in her chair and glared at the whinging Minister. Under her gimlet gaze, his shifting became more pronounced and a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead.

"Let me remind you of what you said to me before." Maggie said coldly. "The Wizarding World and the Magical World are so different that neither should try and interfere with the other. Do you remember saying that?"

Fudge nodded unwillingly.

"If I find out that anyone in your world has used magic on anyone in mine to try and make them do something like what you want, then the wizarding world will find itself facing extinction! Understand?!"

Fudge's nod was even more frantic and Maggie gave a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Excellent. You may go, don't let me _detain_ you."

Fudge's already pale face turned almost white and he scurried to the fireplace. A flash of green marked his departure and the Prime Minister rubbed her forehead.

"Why do I think that this is going to cause some _serious_ problems?" she muttered to herself. Reaching out, she picked up the phone and tapped a highly-restricted number into it. After a few moments, a voice sounded from the other end.

"Yes, your Majesty. It could be very important.  
"Merlin Protocols. We have a problem with them.  
"The Minister of Magic tried to get me to authorize the use of bombs on british soil… He asked for nukes… no, I don't think he realizes just how powerful they are, but even so…  
"My thoughts exactly, Ma'am. May I prepare for implementation of Case Protego?  
"Yes, unfortunately I do think it might be necessary.  
"I look forwards to hearing what your Court Wizard has to say about this as well.  
"Thank you, ma'am.  
"As you wish."

After a few more seconds, Thatcher placed the phone's handset gently in its cradle, then leaned forwards, resting her forehead on the palms of her hands.

"Why _now_?"

.

"Hello, old friend."

"Lucius."

Lucius Malfoy ushered the final one of his guests into the ballroom of his mansion, where others waited in almost-sinfully luxurious high-backed armchairs. Directing him to an empty seat, he walked across the room and onto the raised stage normally used by hired musicians, seating himself in a throne-like chair.

"The events of the past few years have been hard for us all." He said, pitching his voice to carry across the room. "With the revelation that the one who tricked us into supporting him was a half-blood from an incestuous lineage and the re-emergence of the _Boy-who-lived_ , our beliefs have taken several major blows. The werewolves are no longer ours to use and expend in the service of our cause since most of them are now sworn to Black. Our attempts to undermine Dumbledore have failed since he has had more time to spend in the Wizengamot and the ICW since he left Hogwarts.  
"In short, the damage has been grievous.  
"But now, my brethren, we can rebuild! With a new leader, one who is known for his Pureblood credentials, we can recreate society to be how we wish it to be! Rather than rely purely on fear, as _Riddle_ did, let us use _all_ the tools available to us! Let us use politics, diplomacy, finance, treaties and, if we need to, blackmail and violence. Let us reclaim Hogwarts and redefine the ranks of wizardry! Let Blood be of prime importance, but let skill and talent bring their own rewards as well.  
"Let the brightest and strongest align with us, knowing that they shall be rewarded!  
"Let us reclaim Hogwarts as a bastion for the deserving!  
"Let the new age of the Purebloods commence!"

The Ballroom exploded in applause and cheering as Lucius Malfoy smiled benevolently over his new followers.

.

"An excellent speech." Said the man as he took the last seat round the table.

"Thank you, Ladon." Lucius replied, then he looked round the table.

"We are here to discuss how the future of our society should be shaped. I shall advise, but not lead. Too many remember my actions during the Riddle era. Ladon, you never actually swore to Riddle in the last war."

"I didn't, at the order of my father." Ladon replied, not reacting to the stares he was receiving. "The Greengrass family did not join either as my wife's father knew that a rule of terror, which Riddle was undertaking, is only a temporary thing. For all his scheming and plotting, Riddle was never able to think large, only small, like the muggles he was raised amongst."

"So, Lord Greengrass will lead us?"

"Lord Malfoy explained his plans to me and I helped to refine them." Ladon replied. "As he said, Lord Nott, since I was never Marked, those who remember Riddle will not see me as a danger, letting us reclaim the power that has been stolen from us by the halfbloods, the mudbloods and the _animals_ who think they are our equals."

A susurration of approving murmurs swept the room, then Malfoy straightened, drawing all eyes to him.

"We shall place a caste system based on both pedigree _and_ talent. At the top, purebloods with over five generations, then four, then three. Below that, halfbloods with one muggle grandparent, halfbloods with two muggle grandparents, then three and so on and so forth. At the bottom shall be mudbloods, squibs and muggles in that order."

"Can we resume muggle-hunting?" another voice asked eagerly and Malfoy shook his head.

"No. I saw the reports from the last war, you have no idea how close we came to breaking the Statute of Secrecy. The ICW was ready to invade at one point, only Riddle's demise prevented it."

Seeing several of his guests downcast, Malfoy continued.

"That is not to say that we cannot resume _some_ of the old practices. Bonded slavery, concubines and polygamy for the Ancient and Noble families shall be re-instated once our control is secured. But we must not do it too fast, or the mindless sheep shall rise against us."

"How soon?" The man asked eagerly and Malfoy smiled thinly.

"Soon enough, Macnair, soon enough." Lucius smirked. Walden Macnair returned his smile with an almost-manic grin.

"Excellent. My axe wants blood."

"I'm sure it does." Lucius replied, then he looked round.

"Fudge has brought back Umbridge from her temporary exile to head the new 'Muggle-born Registration Commission.' However, it'll be used only for information and _not_ as a means of attacking the mudbloods."

Several groans and sighs sounded and Lucius slammed his hand against the table.

"Listen! We must move carefully on this. Did _any_ of you read Granger's article about the declining birth-rates in pureblood families? Narcissa and myself are trying for a second child now, too many families are dying out because they think themselves too pure to have more than one child."

"But… Granger's a mudblood!" one of the guests protested, only to shrink back as Lucius glared at him.

"Yes, she is, but that doesn't mean that she cannot be right. _All_ ideas must be considered, regardless of source. _All_ facts must be checked, no matter who unearthed them. Without the mudbloods and halfbloods, the wizarding world would be broke and virtually extinct by now. _That_ is why we must not use fear, lest they return to the muggle world with all they have learned and cause the witch-hunts to restart, witch-hunts that would wipe us out! The muggles outnumber us better than two-thousand to one, we cannot win against them at this time and the sooner you understand that, the more we will be able to do to build a better future."

"But surely they will fold when we strike them." Offered another guest.

"No, Yaxley, they won't." Lucius sighed. "I have a contact who knows muggle society and they have their own version of Death Eaters called the eye-are-aye. Each time they strike, the muggles become more determined to never give in. They will not react differently should _we_ move against them."

"Are you certain?"

"Completely." Lucius said. "We cannot afford to let our preconceptions get in the way of what really is. If we do so, we are no better than Riddle."

A murmur of reluctant agreement was his only answer.

.

Lucius placed the book on his desk and looked at it. The book was a dark leather diary, with T. M. Riddle emblazoned on the front in gold letters.

"I know what you are, now." Lucius mused softly, gazing down at the book. "Yaxley confirmed it for me, you are a Horcrux. As long as you are intact, Riddle can return. But you are not the only Horcrux, are you? Yaxley said that there is more than one connection, was another Horcrux the cause of what happened in Hogwarts?"

The diary remained silent and Malfoy sighed.

"Yaxley says that he can create a spell to find the other Horcruxes you left, Riddle. And if what Snape tells me is true, if there is but one more of you remaining and if you have indeed returned by taking over one of the teachers… I think that I can boost Greengrass' power in the eyes of the sheep of the wizarding world. After all, it takes a great deal to revoke an Order of Merlin…"

"Lucius!" A voice called and Lucius half-turned to see Narcissa posing in the doorway, clad only in a sheer negligee. "Why are you in your study? I thought you _wanted_ another child?"

Lucius slipped the diary into a drawer and rose from his seat, smiling broadly.

"I do indeed, but not as much as I want _you_ , my beloved."

Narcissa squealed with laughter as he scooped her up in his arms and strode towards the bedroom.

.

* * *

.

The Larty sliced through the dusk above Scotland, cloaked from all possible detection by an array of invisibility spells, each tuned to negate a different method of detection. One set of spells hid the Larty from the visual eye, another concealed the heat while a third protected against electromagnetic detection (although that particular spell rendered the radar in the nose of the Larty effectively useless). Other spells kept the jet engines roar down to a whisper and protected the electronics against the degrading effects of the as-yet unrestored wards around Hogwarts.

"Approaching Hogwarts, Apparition co-ordinate readouts confirm ETA is two minutes." A voice said through the intercomm and Ahsoka looked across at Flamel.

"You ready?"

"Of course." The old man said with a wry smile. "In through the window, grab the stone and escape."

"Lifesigns detected." The co-pilot said suddenly and Remus rolled his eyes.

"It's a _school_. Of course lifesigns will be detected."

"Seventeen… correction, _twenty-one_ lifesigns approaching the gates, low-light systems indicate that they are on brooms. Slowing to enable identification. Two of them are confirmed as Delores Umbridge and Lucius Malfoy. Dumbledore is moving to intercept them… _they've stunned him_!"

Remus inhaled sharply. "They must be after the Stone!"

"Get us to the tower!" Ahsoka commanded and the compartment seemed to tip as the larty accelerated.

"Hostiles are entering Hogwarts!" The co-pilot relayed. "Prepare for decel!"

Ahsoka grabbed the hanging rack as the larty seemed to slam to a halt.

.

"You have your missions." Lucius stated as he strode into the main hall. "Group one, with me. Group two, secure whatever's in the southeast tower. Group three, find and detain the targets."

"Lord Malfoy!" Headmistress McGonagall snapped as the portrait of the four founders bestowed glares upon the intruders. "What is the meaning of this? Wasn't my interrogation before the Wizengamot enough for you?"

"The Ministry has issued a writ ordering you to hand over whatever magical item is being stored in the southeast tower." Lucius said, motioning for the witch on his right to move forwards. "In addition, we have discovered that the Chamber of Secrets has been opened once again and I am leading a mission to explore it, assuming it can be entered without the aid of a parselmouth."

Quirrell's shocked face briefly took on a smug expression before he managed to recover.

"I will need a teacher to take Madam Hopkirk's team to the tower and another to aid in my mission. Madam Umbridge has her own… what in Merlin's name?"

Quirrell was amongst the majority of people in the hall who followed Lucius' gaze to the enchanted ceiling, where an odd winged vehicle had appeared beside the top of the Southeast tower.

"Exc-cuse me," Quirrell said, "I… know the f… fastest way to… to the tower."

"Hopkirk, Ladon, go with him!" Lucius ordered and Quirrell moved out from behind the Staff table before setting off in a jerky run, seven witches and wizards following him. Lucius watched him go, then cast a spell. Looking at the result, he glanced at the wizards and witches still at the table.

"Severus, if you would be so kind as to join me?"

"Of course." Severus said, hiding his curiosity as he rose from his chair and stalked to where Lucius was standing, his robe billowing dramatically

"Madam Pomphrey, please head to the gates." Lucius added as his group moved towards one of the exits of the Great Hall. "We had to stun someone who tried to stop us on our way in."

Poppy vanished so fast that several students would later swear that she could Apparate inside Hogwarts.

"Hem, hem." Umbridge began once Lucius' group had vanished. "By decree of the Ministry of Magic, the following individuals are hereby remanded into custody as traitors to the Magical world. Harry Potter-Tano and Hermione Granger, please report immediately for Veritaserum interrogation or you shall be declared Enemies of the State and sentenced to receive the Dementor's Kiss."

The students stared at her, most of them horrified and she gave them a fake smile.

"The Jedi have been declared a threat to Wizarding Society and their influence must be purged. Now, where are they?"

.

Quirrell led Hopkirk's team into the lowest room of the tower and smirked as they flinched away from the illusion of the falling stones.

"This level is an… an illusion." He said. "Above us is a Cerb… Cerberus, then a … r… room filled with De… De… Devil's Snare, a troll, a chess-room, a room filled with fl… flying keys and then a room with flame-walls and a p… p… potions riddle. I helped to s… set them up, so shall we?"

Mafalda Hopkirk swallowed nervously, then stepped through the nonexistent stones, Ladon Greengrass hot on her heels.

.

The window shattered and Ahsoka leapt through, landing almost soundlessly on the stone flagstones. Turning, she caught the device thrown to her and attached it to the top of the arched window, then moved away as Remus used the now-anchored rope to swing through.

"No immediate threat." Ahsoka said, "But I can feel some people at the bottom of the tower."

Remus lowered his wand and frowned. "All I see is the mirror, yet the spell Nicolas taught me says the stone is in there. How do we get it out of that thing before the unexpected guests get here?"

"I don't think we need to." Ahsoka grinned, then she moved to the window. "Get ready to belay!"

Suddenly the tower seemed to judder slightly and Remus glanced worriedly at the floor.

"What in Merlin's name is happening down there?"

.

"This is _not_ the way to the chamber of secrets." Snape said, glancing sideways at the father of his godson.

"No, but it is the way to the last of Riddle's Horcruxes." Lucius said quietly, causing Snape's eyebrows to rise in shock. "I've already destroyed the one that Riddle left with me, I'll show you its remains later, and according to Yaxley, there's one remaining, plus Riddle himself."

"If you've destroyed one and four others have been destroyed… plus Riddle himself... I see. Seven parts, a magically significant number" Snape mused and Lucius nodded.

"So once we destroy this one, we can banish Riddle forever and move on to rebuild our society as it should be."

Snape nodded, then looked round curiously. "I remember this place from my school days. I once found a hidden potions lab just there, although even I do not know how it came to be. I just needed somewhere to practice one of my potions, and a door suddenly appeared.

"Well, we need to find the final Horcrux." Malfoy said. "Everyone, the item we need is hidden in a room behind a concealed door somewhere around here. Try to find whatever opens it."

The group split up and Malfoy moved around to check on their progress. As he walked past the blank wall for the third time, a door suddenly appeared.

"Well," Snape murmured. "That was surprisingly easy."

"We still have to find the damned thing." Lucius said as he pushed open the door and looked at the massive pile of objects behind the door. "Thank Merlin that I have the locator spell or this would take years."

"A locator spell?" Snape asked curiously.

"Yaxley may be an ignoramus about most things, but he does know his spellwork." Lucius responded, lifting his wand.

.

" _Bombarda_!"

The door exploded in a shower of splinters and Quirrell gazed appreciatively at the wizard who had cast the spell.

"You r… really li… like that sp… spell."

"The universal door-unlocker and obstacle remover." The wizard grinned. "For when _Alohamora_ isn't enough and you can't be bothered to play chess. Well, it's time for the next room, the potions problem, right?"

At Quirrell's nod, the group filed through the door, only to have flames rise up at both entrances.

"There's a riddle attached to the potion table." Hopkirk said, glancing at the table with its row of seven different bottles, round, tall square, tiny square, medium, medium, giant and cylindrical.

_"Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,  
_ _Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,  
_ _One among us seven will let you move ahead,  
_ _Another will transport the drinker back instead,  
_ _Two among our number hold only nettle wine,  
_ _Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.  
_ _Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore,  
_ _To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:  
_ _First, however slyly the poison tries to hide  
_ _You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;  
_ _Second, different are those who stand at either end,  
_ _But if you would move onwards neither is your friend;  
_ _Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,  
_ _Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;  
_ _Fourth, the second left and the second on the right  
_ _Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight."_

For a moment, they simply stared at the bottles, then Quirrell coughed.

"It's this one." He said, picking up the smallest bottle, "But.. there's only enough for one."

"Then let's not use it." Said the _Bombarda_ -happy wizard, pointing his wand up to the ceiling above the table. "We can climb through. _Bombarda_!"

.

"Ravenclaw's Diadem!" Snape gasped as Lucius used _Wingardium Leviosa_ to remove it from the cupboard in which it resided. "To think that such an amazing relic got… _perverted_ like that!"

Lucius waved for everyone to stand back. "I need multiple shields around it while I take care of it. Severus, you help me with the counter-charm when I tell you."

As the magical shields formed, Lucius pointed his wand at the tiara. " _Fiendfyre_!"

A lance of fire engulfed the diadem and a second later, a burning green vapor rose from it, unleashing a soul-chilling screech.

"Now!"

Releasing the spell, Lucius cast the counter. Aided by Severus, the flames quickly dissipated, revealing a pile of ash.

"Damn you, Riddle, for making me do that." Lucius muttered. "Severus, my old friend, I have need of your knowledge."

.

Quirrell stepped on the proffered hands and let himself be boosted up through the gap in the ceiling. Scrambling onto solid ground, he looked round and frowned.

"There should be a mirror here."

"A mirror?" Greengrass asked as he examined the odd device clamped to the shattered window and the length of cut cable hanging from it. "This cut is incredibly smooth, but the cable has slightly melted…"

"Yes," Quirrell said tensely. "Dumbledore told us he hid the Stone in the Mirror of Erised, where's the mirror?"

"Where's your stutter?" Greengrass said, turning to stare at Quirrell, who responded by pulling out his wand. However, he was not fast enough against someone who was already holding their wand.

" _Incarcerous_!"

Quirrell fell to the floor, wrapped in conjured ropes and his turban fell off.

"Merlin!" Hopkirk gasped in shock as she scrambled clear of the hole. "What is that… _thing_?"

" _Fools! I am Lord Voldemort!_ " The face on the back of Quirrell's head hissed, red eyes glaring at them.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle." Greengrass said, earning a snarl and glare. "We know all about your history, half-blood, it was published in the paper."

" _Die_!" Voldemort hissed as he surged his magic, breaking free of the ropes, but again Greengrass was faster.

" _Defodio_!"

Quirrell's body landed on the floor in an uncontrolled heap while his head, severed by the curse, landed on top of it before rolling off. An instant later, a smokey shape rose and took form.

" _You cannot defeat… no, my anchors! What happened to my…_ _ **NOOOO**_ _OOOOO_ _ **oooooo**_ _oooooo!_ "

Voldemort's smokey form faded away, the final wisps blowing away in a breeze that no-one felt.

"You… you killed _You-Know-Who_!" Hopkirk whispered in shock. "He… He's gone!"

.

The Larty sliced through the dark skies and in the troop compartment, Nicolas Flamel stepped away from the mirror of _Erised_ with a perplexed expression.

"I have _no_ idea how my former apprentice did it. I _know_ the stone is in there, but I just cannot persuade the damn thing to disgorge it."

"Bloody hell!"

Everyone turned to face Remus, who was stood in front of the mirror with a faintly-glowing red rock in his hand.

"How did you…?" Ahsoka started and Remus shrugged, still gazing in shock at the Stone.

"I… have no idea." He managed to say. "I was just looking… and I wanted to get the stone for Nicolas… and suddenly, my reflection placed it in its ammo pouch and I felt my pouch get heavy, and there it was!"

Everyone exchanged surprised looks, then Nicolas accepted the Stone from Remus.

"Well, this is definitely it. I wonder… could it be because you're a werewolf?"

A confused shrug was his only answer.

.

* * *

.

_**You Know Who? He's Gone!** _

_In a startling feat of magical skill and unlimited bravery, Lord Greengrass confronted and dispatched the wraith of Tom Marvolo Riddle, the self-proclaimed Lord Voldemort who had seized control of the former DADA teacher Quirinus Quirrell and had used him to try and seize a magical object (believed to be the Philosopher's Stone) that was being held at Hogwarts.  
_ _The final death of Riddle puts an end to the threat of his return. With his bravery and courage proven beyond a doubt, as well as his proven history of neutrality (the Greengrass family never joined the Death Eaters, or allowed any of their number to be Imperioused into joining), this paper is proud to put forwards the name of Ladon Greengrass as our next Minister of Magic.  
_ _During the events in question, Chief Warlock Dumbledore was rendered unconscious and has been rushed to St Mungo's where he is recovering in a private room. Our best wishes go to Albus Dumbledore. Until he recovers enough to resume his duties, Elphius Doge has taken the mantle of Interim Chief Warlock while Griselda Marchbanks has taken a leave of absence from the Wizarding Examinations Authority to represent the United Kingdom in the International Confederation of Wizards.  
_ _In a statement to the Daily Prophet, Lord Greengrass said,  
_ "I do not believe that I did anything special, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Regarding the position of Minister, I believe that Cornelius Fudge is doing an excellent job, but should I be elected to replace him, I will do my utmost to serve the Wizarding World. _"_

_The Life of Lord Ladon Greengrass – Pages 2 to 6  
_ _Tom Riddle Gone For Good! – Pages 7 to 9  
_ _How to celebrate without worrying the Muggles – Pages 10 to 12_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And you lot thought that I was going to try and stay close to canon…
> 
> Well, GOTCHA!
> 
> {evil laugh}
> 
> And to those who say I've screwed up the plot, I haven't.  
> This divergence is how I intended it to be from the start since introducing new characters into a story changes it.  
> Look up the Butterfly Effect.
> 
> Sheesh.


	18. New Order

"The Minister of Magic requests permission to meet the Prime Minister at a time of your choosing."

Margaret Thatcher looked at the small portrait in the corner of the office in confusion. Normally the blasted thing simply arrogantly announced that the Minister was coming, its current change of personality was almost worrying and was more than enough to spark her curiosity. Glancing at her desk-schedule, she shrugged.

"I have the next half-hour free, or six p.m. tomorrow for an hour."

"Which is more convenient for you?"

Maggie's eyebrows rose at that. _Something_ was different, and she needed to find out just what it was. "Now, if he's available. If the meeting goes on too long, he can return tomorrow."

"He will arrive momentarily." The portrait said, then the man vanished from his frame. A bare ten seconds later, the fireplace erupted in green flames and spat out someone who Maggie had never seen before.

"Good morning and thank you for seeing me at such short notice." The man said, bowing deeply. "My name is Ladon Greengrass and I have been granted the honor of holding the position of Minister of Magic."

Maggie waved for him to be seated and leaned back, steepling her fingers.

"What happened to that Fudge idiot?"

"He decided to step down." Greengrass said with a slight smile. "After we _finally_ got rid of the greatest threat to both wizarding and muggle worlds two weeks ago, he realized that had the threat fully materialized, he would not have been able to cope, so he stepped down."

"And what threat was it?"

"Tom Marvolo Riddle and his followers, also known as Voldemort and his Death Eaters."

Thatcher nodded in recognition. "I remember getting briefings on them in my first term as Prime Minister. I thought he had died."

"Almost." Greengrass shrugged. "He used a forbidden magic to anchor his soul to this plane. We were able to sever the anchors and send him to the afterlife."

Thatcher nodded slowly. "I see. My congratulations."

Thank you." Ladon replied with a smile. "However, Riddle's actions have shown us that our society is currently rather unstable, there is too much corruption that we still have to root out, too much primacy of blood. For the next few years, we will be adjusting things so that talent is no longer ignored."

"A meritocracy." Thatcher realised and she smiled, not noticing that Greengrass hadn't actually agreed with her conclusion. "You can count on my support if you need it."

"Thank you. However, there is _one_ problem we in the wizarding world still have, werewolves. We have discovered that they have formed a militaristic community and are allied with a group practicing forbidden mageries. May I pull out a folder?"

Thatcher nodded and Greengrass reached into his robes, extracting a file filled with parchment.

"This is what we know about the so-called Wolfalorians and their allies, a rogue group of wizards known as the Jedi. We tried to contain them, but they had already vanished by the time our Aurors penetrated their wards. We have massively increased the number of Aurors being recruited, Fudge let their numbers decline to the point where they had to abandon their regular duties in order to deal with anything large."

"I see." Thatcher frowned. "So we have a private army of werewolves running around god-knows-where and doing god-knows-what."

"That's one reason that we are increasing the number of Aurors, yes." Greengrass agreed. "The problem we have is that we believe that they have contacts in your world and they are using them to hide from ours."

Thatcher turned over one of the pages in the file and paused, looking at the pictures on it.

"He's only a child."

"And he's their figurehead." Greengrass sighed. "Harry Potter, _The-Boy-Who-Lived_ , the only person to ever survive a killing curse and whose survival turned Riddle into a wraith. Our greatest hero, being raised to become a darker villain than Riddle. He recently defeated four wizards in a duel without using magic, only Jedi Sorcery."

"I can see why you are worried." Thatcher said, closing the file. "I'll have this sent to MI6."

"Thank you." Greengrass said gratefully. "You have no idea how much that means to us."

.

* * *

.

"Now that you're here, we can begin." Lucius said as the final figure took its place at the table. "Mockridge?"

"I sent a mudblood to approach the goblins, but they declined to agree to any changes in the relationship between wizards and goblins."

"Just as expected." Lucius said placatingly. "Just remember, _no-one_ is to do anything to anger them. Treat them with the respect you would give a fellow Pureblood, the Goblins are too numerous, too wealthy and too well-armed for us to move against them for the foreseeable future."

Cuthbert Mockridge leaned back in his chair, frowning but otherwise silent.

"Remember, we must build _slow_ to build strong." Lucius said and several of the others around the table nodded. "Now, Madam Umbridge?"

The pink-clad woman smiled broadly. "The census is going _wonderfully_ , we are getting plenty of information on who the mudbloods and half-breeds are."

"For information _only_." Lucius stressed, glaring at her and Umbridge seemed to shrink slightly.

"O… of course."

"And the ranking system?" another figure asked, causing Umbridge to seem to inflate with self-importance.

"If all of someones great-great grandparents were pureblood wizards as in having all parents and grandparents being magical, it makes them a _Highest True Pureblood_. For all great-grandparents, _High True Pureblood_. For Grandparents, _True Purebloods_ , for Parents, _Purebloods_ and is someone is a first generation Pureblood, a _New Pureblood_. Those with a single non-magical grandparent are _True_ _Highbloods_ , two non-magical grandparents are _Highbloods_ and three are _Part Highbloods_. For those with a single magical parent, the title is _Halfblood_ while no magical parents are _Muggleborn_. Needless to say, those with Squib ancestors rather than Muggle are slightly higher ranked while those with other breeds are lower. I have leaflets explaining it in detail."

"Very well thought out." Lucius purred. "And the tests?"

"The **W** izarding **A** dvanced **N** ational **D** evelopment **S** ystem is ready to be put into place." Came a reply. "As you requested, they are tests as far above Masteries as Masteries are above NEWTs."

Lucius nodded. "Anyone who gainst six NEWTs may be considered a rank higher than their blood status indicates, another level up for every two Masteries they hold and now, another for each of the WANDS they take. A holder of the Order of Merlin is automatically promoted to _New Pureblood_ status for themselves and their spouse while any children become full _Purebloods_ unless they are already at that level or higher. Blood-purity by itself is not enough, we also need to encourage progress, and what better way than via education."

"But… this means that in theory a _mudblood_ could claim the rank of _Pureblood_!" Umbridge stuttered, causing Lucius to laugh coldly.

"Indeed, but _only_ the best and brightest, those who would make good _breeding stock_ to improve the upper classes. This way, we get the best of all worlds."

Umbridge opened her mouth to protest, then paused as approving murmurs sounded.

.

* * *

.

"This is so not good." Remus said as he placed his copy of the _Daily Prophet_ on the table. "It seems that your plans to move WolfTech from England to here on Black Island may need to be accelerated further."

Sirius nodded as he watched the quintet of Jedi sparring outside, seeming to dance across the sandy beach.

"By the way," Remus added, "I've had all but the Potter banner moved from the Gringotts Hall of Doors to the Concourse. Can't afford to let our allies be targeted for allying with us. I've also asked about adding extra security."

"The Wizengamot has voted to suspend the Black and Potter seats." Sirius said. "We've been cut out of the political loop."

"At least we got wards over all of the properties to buy some time." Molly said as she entered carrying a tray piled with snacks. "Using electricity to power magic… who came up with _that_ idea?"

"One of the Wolfalorians." Remus chuckled. "We couldn't run magic through the Rune Doors without risking destabilising them, but electricity has no effect whatsoever, especially when a superconductive cable is used. Have an electrical motor turn a runic wheel and… _voila_! Instant magic where you need it."

"And what were those shields based on again?" Molly asked. "Gedsic domes?"

" _Geodesic_ spheres." Remus corrected as Molly placed the tray on a side table and joined them at the window. "They're a muggle idea which we adapted for magical usage. They're _far_ stronger than normal spherical wards, more resiliant as well."

"Thank god for Flamel." Sirius sighed, then he frowned. "Remus, how's project Wolfshape going?"

"No real progress at this time." Remus shrugged. "We're still trying to trace the magical portions of the werewolf virus, but normal Rabies cures are ineffective. Oddly, some of the magical aspects resemble the Animagus transformation."

"Interesting." Sirius mused.

.

* * *

.

"…and tomorrow, most of you will be going home for christmas." McGonagall said, looking at the four tables full of students. "May I remind those of you not taking the train of the procedures in place for the Gringotts Gates, do _not_ attempt to enter any Concourse except those which you are cleared for, as the curses the Goblins have placed are quite… powerful."

Amidst the sudden sussuration, she heard Malfoy declare "…course, my father arranged for him and his friends to have their own private Concourse as soon as the Gates hit the market."

Minerva raised her hand and the noise dropped until the Great Hall was silent once more.

"With the greatest threat to the Wizarding World removed by the courageous actions of Lord Greengrass," Minerva glanced as Daphne Greengrass, who simply nodded regally with a proud smile, "I am certain that many of you will indeed be celebrating more than usual. However, I would _strongly_ advise you to do your homework first, no excuses will be accepted for lack of effort. And on that note, it is time to eat."

As the food appeared on the tables, Minerva sat down and glanced to her left.

"Yes, Severus?"

"I thought you should know, the Healers have released Dumbledore from the hospital, but they've ordered him to cut down on his work. He intends to appear before the Wizengamot at the next session to give his support to Elphius Doge as the next Chief Warlock."

"And his role as Supreme Mugwump?"

"He said he'd go mad if he didn't have _something_ to do." Severus replied dryly. "I occasionally wonder how anyone could tell, given the robes he wears."

Minerva glared at him, but her glare was lessened by the knowledge of the loyalty and devotion that Snape had for the elderly wizard. On her other side, Flitwick sighed.

"Thinking about your missing students, Filius?"

"I am." The half-goblin replied, looking mournfully at his House. "I know that my House is not the only one diminished, Septima lost all of the Weasleys."

"And I don't know whether to be upset or overjoyed." Professor Vector riposted, but everyone could see the sadness in her gaze. "Although Percy _did_ leave a very apologetic letter and his Prefect badge."

"I haven't lost any of my snakes, but Pomona seems to have misplaced a couple of Hufflepuffs." Snape added.

"Neville Longbottom and Nymphadora Tonks." Professor Sprout confirmed with a sigh. "Two of my most promising students, gone."

"The herbal-prodigy and the metamorphmagus." Snape commented. "It is a shame that we have lost them, but given what happened…"

"I heard from Gringotts that the Potter Alliance has moved all their banners to their Concourse, except for the Potter crest." Filius shrugged. "In addition, the Gate is now warded on both sides."

"Their link to Hogwarts is down as well." Minerva sighed. "They must have disabled it from the other end once they'd pulled out the children."

Filius sighed. "Given the Wizengamot's new stance, I admit that had I the chance, I would have joined them. Werewolves have been forced out of their jobs and now all half-breeds like myself and Hagrid are being scrutinized. If what I fear comes to pass, I may need to find new accommodation within Gringotts soon, or move abroad."

"It does seem like a reversion to the old Pureblood days," Snape agreed softly, "except that according to my sources, it isn't just lineage that is importance, intelligence is as well."

"Interesting." Mused Professor Diggle. "I think that _someone_ has been paying attention to history."

Minerva looked round and made a decision. "Hogwarts will take its lead from Gringotts on this, we will remain neutral. Our task is to educate the children in the paths of magic and that is what we shall do, regardless of blood-status."

"Agreed." Snape said with a wry smile. "Under the rules I have seen, though, I would currently be classified as a _Highblood_ due to my NEWTS and Masteries, even though I was born a _halfblood_."

"Highblood?" Flitwick asked and Snape nodded.

"Two steps below the _Pureblood_ rankings. I'll explain it all to you later."

"I'm looking forwards to it." Minerva said uncertainly.

.

* * *

.

The Gringotts Hall echoed with excited chatter as a flood of children and teenagers entered through a large gate with the word _Hogwarts_ engraved upon the lintel. The Goblin Guards watched stoically as the students flowed past them, some striding confidently towards their destination while others moved more slowly, looking round for the banners that would tell them which of the Gates they were meant to use. Some of the younger ones were surprised to find that the Goblin Guards were a good source of directions, as long as they were approached politely.

"The Malfoy Concourse is this way." Draco said to his followers and hangers-on as he led them towards the gate underneath the Malfoy banner. Glancing round, he hid his sneer at the sight of the Potter banner on the other side of the Hall, then he strode through the Gate and into a large circular chamber, one with two rings of balconies linked by four recessed spiraling staircases rising from the ground. On the other side of the chamber on a slightly raised dais was a door set into a bejeweled, golden frame with the Malfoy crest picked out in emeralds and black diamonds.

"The Chamber of the Pure, as paid for entirely by my father." Malfoy announced with a smirk. "As you can see, it was created to hold up to forty-seven doors, seven on the ground level and twenty on each balcony-ring. Each of the upper doors has its own balcony for use in meetings, the corridor that connects them runs round behind them and the pillars in which the Doors are placed."

"An excellent summary, my son." An approving voice said and everyone turned to see Lucius Malfoy standing on the dias in front of the Malfoy Door. "Miss Parkinson, you wished to say something?"

"Judging from the spacings, if the stairs weren't where they are, another eight Doors could be installed on the balconies and four on the ground."

"Indeed, you are correct. The original design had the stairs freestanding and connected to the balconies by short bridges, but such a thing would have made meetings harder due to blocked lines of sight. Sacrificing a the potential for another dozen Doors in exchange for increased clarity of speech and vision was a trade I was more than willing to make."

The door to the left of the dais opened and Vincent Crabbe's father stepped through it, pausing to nod respectfully to Lucius, who returned the nod. A moment later, the door to the right of the dais opened to reveal the form of Gregory Goyle's father. Another door opened to the left of the Gringott's Gate and Daphne's face lit up as a regal woman and a small girl stepped through.

"As you can see," Malfoy said, pitching his voice so that it carried through the rising hubbub, "The Gates give us a fast and secure means of travelling and while you are here, may I invite you all to a celebration on Beltane at my mansion, I have hired the Weird Sisters for the younger generation in the West Ballroom, while the East Ballroom will have more… traditional entertainment. If you wish to attend, please have your parents Owl me and I hope to see you all there. In the meantime, I wish you all a pleasant holiday. Draco?"

"Coming, father." Draco said as he strode across the marble floor to his father.

"Your mother is waiting." Lucius smiled and Draco returned his smile before stepping through the Door to his father's mansion and the welcome that awaited him.

.

* * *

.

Albus sat in the living room of his cottage, looking into the depths of the firewhisky glass that he held, his mind busy as he fought to reconcile the events of the previous few weeks with what he had believed was meant to happen.

Perhaps it was indeed as Lupin had suggested, that the Prophecy had been fulfilled when Voldemort had lost his body to the reflected killing curse, but somehow he doubted it.

Rising to his feet, he strode across to a large bookcase that took up most of the back wall and hunted through it, finally pulling out a large genealogy book of recent printing. Opening it, he leafed through to the page marked Greengrass and froze, staring at it.

Ladon Greengrass had been born Ladon Lancer. When he had married, on the last day of July to a pregnant Ephemeria Greengrass, he had taken her family name rather than her taking his, effectively being reborn since Ladon _Greengrass_ hadn't existed before that day.

And with the him having managed to remain neutral… he must have survived defying Riddle's attempts to recruit him somehow, or rather, his parents (and those of his wife) must have… and by not killing him, Riddle effectively marked him as his equal… and it was Laden who had struck Riddle down after the last two the Horcruxes had been destroyed by his friend, as confirmed privately by Severus who had witnessed the destruction of the Diary and the Diadem, the last two of Riddle's anchors.

Friendship. The Power the Dark Lord knew not.

All those years he had thought that Harry Potter had been the child of prophecy but it would seem that he had been mistaken, there had been another.

Albus smiled and settled back into his chair, relaxing as Fawkes started to sing.

It was over, the Prophecy had indeed been fulfilled.

He was going to really enjoy this years Beltane celebrations.

Although he really _did_ need to find out just what had happened to the Stone.

.

* * *

.

"Welcome to Grassip Lane, America's equivalent to Diagon Alley." Sirius declaimed as he led the group out of the small apartment above one of the shops and down the stairs. "It is one of three streets arranged in a triangle, the other two being Rockip Lane and Sandip Lane. Gringotts is at the midpoint of Rockip, so we head right or clockwise and the corners are anchored by enchanted arches that have low-powered muggle-repelling charms on them."

Harry turned in surprise as a centaur trotted past, several saddlebags on its back.

"The American wizarding world is less restrictive than Britain's, but it is also a lot smaller." Sirius shrugged. "The original settlers, the Puritans, didn't believe in magic and saw it as demonic influence, so no mages went with them and only a few followed them. It's only been the last hundred years or so that numbers have increased as the muggleborn and magical sentients decided they don't like the restrictions in Britain and thus the native Wizards have put more effort into finding and recruiting magic users. Like the rest of the Wizarding World, American Wizards keep their powers secret, although they are far more likely to live in muggle areas."

"Nice." Arthur Weasley said, looking round.

"They've also recently started experimenting with combining magic and technology." Sirius added.

"Recently?"

"After seeing how much damage muggles could do in the Second World War, the wizards decided that they needed to pay more attention to what was happening in the rest of the world. I believe that about a tenth of the Secret Service are either magicals or know about the Magical world."

"Is there a bookshop here?" Hermione asked, causing several of her friends to hastily muffle their chuckles. "What? It's a valid question."

"I believe that there's a large one on Sandip, but I can't remember what it's called." Remus said, looking embarrassed. "I was only really here to arrange for the vaults to be moved here and to get our visas from the Department of Magic."

"These people are very tolerant." Arthur noted as a goblin and a vampire (who was sheltering under a magic-enhanced Parasol) strolled past, arguing about something obscure. "I wonder if Ahsoka could go unveiled here?"

"Probably best if Xenophilius finishes that side-project he's working with Ahsoka on, first." Remus said, then he saw the looks being sent his way and sighed. "Look, you know how Xeno has been interested in odd animals for years? Well, he's putting together material based on the files Ahsoka brought with her and the things she can remember. They're planning on releasing it to the roleplaying muggles first."

"That… is a very intelligent plan." Sirius mused.

"Xeno came up with it."

Sirius's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets and Remus nodded in confirmation.

"What's got Sirius so shocked?" Hermione asked, looking at him curiously.

"He just discovered someone's hidden depths." Remus replied.

.

* * *

.

"…and now for our last piece of business before we break until the new year." Elphius Doge said, looking round at the assembled Wizengamot. "The Ministry of Magic has finished its investigation and determined that Lord Potter is guilty of associating with demonic entities, as is Lord Black. Since both are currently full members of the Wizengamot, albeit _in absentia_ , they cannot be charged while they still hold their seats in accordance with the ancient laws. The Ministry has respectfully requested that we remove that protection in order to allow them to see justice done."

"I propose a vote to remove Lords Potter and Black from the Wizengamot." Lord Nott said.

"I second the motion." Malfoy quickly replied.

"Are there any who wish to speak in defense of Lords Potter and Black?"

"I do." Said Augusta Longbottom as she rose majestically from her chair. "As Regent Longbottom, I must point out that the one that Lords Potter and Black are accused of associating with is the one who rescued a young Harry Potter from a miserable existence, thus uncovering the traitorous Pettigrew and setting the conditions for the final death of Tom Riddle. Those are _not_ the actions of a demon. Ahsoka Tano is merely a witch from a distant land, one who happens to look different. There is nothing demonic involved and thus the charge is meaningless."

"Recognizing Lord Malfoy."

Malfoy stood as Lady Longbottom resumed her seat. "Regent Longbottom reminds us of history, but the facts are simple. This Tano is not human, she is not from this world and therefore, by our own laws, she is classified as a Demon. She may not be from the afterlife, she may not derive directly from the Infernal Realms, but she is still, by every law and custom of our society, a Demon who should not be allowed to inflict her non-human views on our human society. We are humans. Muggle, muggleborn, halfblood, highblood or pureblood, our humanity unites us and defines us. She is not human and so I move that after this matter is resolved, the Wizengamot, at minimum, removes its declaration in her favor. Remember that she forced young Lord Potter to claim his Lordship at eleven years old, far too young to understand the culture, responsibilities and traditions of the Wizengamot. Lord Black chose to abandon his duties and let a _werewolf_ walk amongst us in his name, and they did so because of Tano. No, my friends, the charges are true."

"Any others who wish to speak?" Doge asked, looking round. "Then we shall vote. The first vote, should Lord Potter be stripped of his seat on the Wizengamot. Place your wand on the relevant square on the bench in front of you…"

.

"One step closer." Malfoy gloated in his private study. His guest nodded.

"Between your abilities and my position, we will be able to rebuild society as it should be, rather than the mess it is now." Ladon said, accepting a goblet of wine. "I must say, though, moving this slowly is getting… aggravating."

"We _need_ to work slowly." Lucius said, putting his goblet down and leaning forwards, his face intent. "Riddle tried to move too fast and he misjudged peoples reactions. The public dislike change except when it seems slow, gentle and inevitable. If we try to move fast, we will find that our haste has created resistance and we will be at war again. We have to work slowly in order to build our society how we want it, we must be careful so that we don't raise suspicions before all is in place."

"And Hogwarts?"

"Hogwarts will eventually become ours, but not for several years to come." Lucius said thoughtfully. "Any pressure we apply for them will cause them and those supporting them to look more closely at us. Instead, we shall raise the funding they receive, as well as increasing the funding for St Mungos and the DMLE."

"Who'd have thought that rooting out inefficiency and corruption could have led to so much money being liberated." Ladon chuckled darkly. "And several of our political enemies being caught with their hands in the money-bag… priceless. Truly a political advantage worth savoring."

"Shame we had to cut one of our own loose as well." Lucius sighed, then he smirked. "Although had he actually been intelligent enough to _hide_ his indiscretions, he would have made an adequate tool given his former position. Oh well, what is, is, and it's no good worrying about what might have been."

Ladon nodded and raised his goblet. "To the future, may it be perfect."

"To the future." Lucius responded, tapping his goblet against Ladon's.

.

* * *

.

"According to the English Ministry, you're a demonic entity." Remus stated with disgust as he entered the massive workshop.

"I've been called worse." Ahsoka shrugged from where she was helping to adjust some of the systems on the first non-magical LAAT/i. "I mean, for a while I was called _traitor_ by the Jedi Order. I was proven innocent, but it still hurt."

Harry nodded as he wordlessly passed her an adjustable spanner and Ahsoka looked at it before applying it to the nut.

"Urgh. Give me a Hydrospanner any day, makes it so much easier."

"Look at it this way." Nicholas Flamel offered as he tapped several controls to initiate a system test. "Soon, we'll be able to put up an assembly line of these and… and… what _are_ you planning on doing with them?"

"Sell them." Ahsoka shrugged. "We'll need some serious money…"

"You need _my_ money?! Well, I suppose that you can have it if you ask nicely." Sirius interjected and Ahsoka facepalmed.

"I can't believe I walked into that _again_. Let me rephrase. Although the Black and Potter fortunes are large, they aren't large enough for the plans I have, we need an income stream. And what better way than to sell a finished product to a very grateful customer. The American Military will go _nuts_ over the larties. Faster and more agile than helicopters while still retaining their agility without sacrificing offensive and defensive firepower. And once we get the vehicle and cargo versions designed and built…"

"More money for the other designs." Remus finished as he folded the Daily Prophet and placed it on a side bench. "Are we going to convert the LAAT/me's?"

"Lartmes?" Harry asked and Remus shrugged.

"Low Altitude Assault Transports, Magic Enhanced."

"We'll keep them for the Jedi Order and the Wolfalorians." Ahsoka said, wiping her hands clean of grease and oil. "Maybe build a few more."

"Can I have one?" Sirius grinned.

"You have that flying bike of yours." Remus said repressively and Sirius pouted at him.

"But that's _old_ stuff, Moony. Larties are _new_!"

"I won't tell Moony what we got Sirius if you don't." Ahsoka whispered to Harry who nodded, his eyes flicking over to the corner where a large tarpaulin held a working magically-enhanced recreation of an enclosed speeder bike.

"Deal."

"Hey, Ahsoka! We got the first walker working!"

Everyone's heads snapped round as the excited mechanic ran in.

"Walker?" Sirius asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I make no apologies for the bad street-name puns. After all, JK did Diagon and Nocturn, all I did was take it a few steps further.


	19. Making Progress

"General."

"General."

The two four-star Generals nodded to each other as they took their position on the main dais set in the middle of the rows of benches on a rise overlooking a large training area.

"So, do you have any clue what this is about? Must be something important to have Air Force and Army here."

"And Marines." Said the Air Force General, looking at the new four-star General stepping up. "Hello Jordan, fancy seeing you today."

"Frank, Phil." The new arrival said, walking forwards to join them at the banister. "I was told that there was a demonstration of a new vehicle or two today. I know that they've borrowed a squad of Marines for the demonstration."

"Really? I was told they were supplying their own pilots. Well, ten minutes until the demonstration is due to start."

The three generals leaned against the railing, looking out through the wall of reinforced glass set just in front of the stand, between them and the demonstration area, then the Air Force general frowned.

"Are either of you cleared for case Mike Echo Romeo Lima India November?"

The other two generals nodded slowly.

"Runes."

The Marine general leaned forwards, his eyes darting to each corner of the large panes of thick glass set in the thin metal frame, then he nodded.

"I only got the basic briefing, either of you got higher than that?"

"I'm a Squib, father was magical, I'm not." Said the Army general. "I got enough of an education to know that _those_ are reinforcement runes, designed to boost the strength and resilience of whatever they're applied to."

"Someone obviously refuses to take chances. Suddenly, I'm interested."

The trio fell silent again, scanning the field beyond the transparent shield. Several groups of dummies were situated in sandbag-reinforced foxholes while a couple of tanks and other vehicles were off to one side.

"Remote controlled vehicles." The Army general noted.

"You're right, Frank. The drivers are over there… your guys, I see."

"Five minutes."

"Movement, ten o'clock."

As they watched, a group of soldiers trotted onto the field and quickly checked the buildings and vehicles before retreating from the field. Another moment passed, then a man in a civilian suit strode out, microphone in hand. Stopping a hundred meters from the dais, he switched on his microphone and tapped it twice, the sound echoing from the speakers.

"Testing, testing. Ladies and Gentlemen, Honored guests, distinguished visitors… did I leave anyone out?"

Two of the generals half-smiled at the attempt to break the rising tension.

"On behalf of my employers, WolfTech Industries, I thank you for coming today. My name is Remus Lupin and before we begin, I would like to give you a bit of an overview.  
"WolfTech industries believes in exploring new directions of technology. A few months ago, we had a breakthrough in the creation of something that even by itself, will revolutionize everything, a room-temperature superconductor."

A sudden burst of noise, questions, exclamations and even curses rose from the benches and Remus held his hand up for silence. After another moment, the noise slowly subsided.

"Thank you. As I'm certain you are aware, such a material will allow for faster computers, better power transmission, improved communications… and the development of previously unexpected technological marvels, such as this."

A whining noise sounded and a large number of gasps rose as a long, thin vehicle crested one of the hills. Propelled by a jet turbine with the intake at the front of the vehicle, the most amazing thing about the bike-like vehicle was that it had no wheels, instead hovering a meter above the ground.

"What you see approaching is a currently unarmed Biker Advanced Recon Commando speeder, also called a BARC speeder mark one. Four point six meters long, capable of almost four hundred kilometres an hour and highly maneuverable, a BARC Speeder is capable of traversing any terrain. Minefields are useless against it, it can go over land and water with equal ease and is equipped with a pair of under-slung machine gun mounts with ammo feeds and storage. It uses the superconductive metal that I mentioned earlier in special arrays underneath, generating a repulsion-effect field that supports it as it moves and it is capable of reaching altitudes in excess to two-hundred meters. In other words, it is a scout's wet dream."

The speeder, which had been driving in circles and figures of eight accelerated away and Remus started to walk towards the edge of the barrier as the remote-controlled vehicles roared into life and began to move.

"Finding the enemy is one thing, but what do you do once you have found him? This is where you need the heavy assault capability. A way of getting soldiers in as fast as possible and supplying them with covering fire. Helicopters are useful for that, but they can be rather limited in where they can go and how fast they can get there. We at WolfTech looked at the concept of the helicopter in combat and applied our new technology to it, creating the Low Altitude Assault Transport, Infantry version, often called the Larty."

A throbbing whine sounded and then three of the strangest vehicles that the generals had ever seen rose over the hill that the BARC Speeder had vanished behind. The angular vehicles flew towards the field and then the two guns in the nose started to fire, lines of dust and shredded targets showing their accuracy.

"A Larty can fly at up to five hundred kilometres an hour and carries a significant amount of weaponry." Remus noted as he closed the small door behind him and started up the stairs to the dias. "Two heavy miniguns are mounted at the front, set in spherical mounts for independent control. Another two mini-guns are on swivel-mounts for use by the crew, one on each side at the forward doors. The wings each hold two machine guns in the spheres you see, one fires above the plane of the wing, the other below. A trio of air-to-air rockets are located under each wing, while two mass-driver missile launchers are mounted on the top, using repulsorlift rings to accelerate the missiles fired from them, each have a magazine of twenty missiles. An aft-mounted minigun discourages pursuit. Minimum crew is one pilot, but for a higher level of efficiency and lethality, a co-pilot is required, as well as several gunners. A Larty can carry up to twenty-four troops and two speeder bikes."

One of the Larties dropped to hover barely a quarter of a meter above the ground in front of the barrier and the doors swung open and back, letting three squads of Marines pile out and take up defensive positions around the craft.

"Of course, sometimes something heavier is needed."

Another Larty crested the hill, but even a civilian could see that there were some major differences.

"The LAAT carrier variant, designed to transport vehicles and other hardware." Remus announced as the gunship turned to reveal that it was carrying an odd vehicle with six legs. "One pilot and three mini-guns for defense, two forwards and one aft, designed to get the hardware into position and then get out again."

The LAAT/c swooped down and the two armatures that were holding the walker in place retracted, letting the LAAT/c pull away unencumbered, turning smoothly and accelerating rapidly back the way it came.

"The All-Terrain Tactical Enforcer." Remus said as the metal beast started to walk forwards. "Capable of crossing obstacles that would leave wheeled and tracked vehicles stranded and can even wade through water up to ten meters deep. Propelled by six legs which have been equipped with retractable wheels, they can walk at up to forty-five miles an hour, or roll at up to a hundred and ten. Thirteen meters long, the AT-TE has a pilot, a navigator and up to five gunners controlling six heavy mini-guns, four forwards and two aft. For the largest obstacles there is a mass-driver cannon mounted on the turret at the top."

The turret turned 360 degrees, showing that the cannon was mounted in a slightly offset fashion.

"Fully enclosed, the turret is accessible from inside the AT-TE, meaning that the top gunner remains shielded from most weapons systems. With the AT-TE thirteen meters long, five wide and five high, it can carry up to thirty-two troopers inside its armoured shell, ready to deploy."

On cue, two doors opened on either side, flanking the central leg, and more Marines flooded out. At the same time, the turret rapidly swung round and fired, the noise surprisingly quiet. The explosion of the building it had fired at more than made up for the lack of volume, however.

"The AT-TE carries sixty rounds for its main cannon with three different magazines for high explosive, piercing or rocket-enhanced."

The gun fired again, but this time the round seemed to ignite mid-air and screamed towards its target.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Remus said, "I present to you the future of warfare. And for outside combat, we have the police, firefighter and ambulance variants."

Three more Larties appeared, these ones noticeably different. Lacking the wing weapon-spheres or dorsal mass-drivers and with flashing blue and red lights along the edges of their wings, they swooped in and came to a hover.

"All the weapons have been removed. The police version boasts twin independent searchlight/camera arrays and contains a small cell in the aft, capable of holding half a dozen prisoners. The ambulance version has a remodeled aft section which contains a small infirmary and enough stretchers for eight people while the firefighter boasts two forwards water cannons and a water tank two meters by two meters by four meters, giving it enough water to tackle most blazes. These civilian models have a top speed of four hundred kilometres an hour, making them very advantageous for those who wish to invest in them."

The three generals noted that most of the crowd was muttering to each other in excitement and astonishment.

"If anyone is interested, we will be happy to loan them the craft for three months for testing and evaluation purposes, no charge."

The roar of the crowd increased.

.

* * *

.

"The new factory is a go." Remus smirked as he and Sirius watched the last of the thirty completed LAAT/i's lift from the landing apron on the first stage of their journey. "The name WolfTech will soon become the best-known vehicle manufacturer on the planet."

"And how is the recruitment going?" Ahsoka asked from behind them.

"We've managed to pull almost all of the non-hostile werewolves out of the UK and are in negotiations with several American Packs who are interested in joining."

"I've approached the Salem Witches Academy, they opened it to Wizards a couple of decades ago but still haven't got round to changing the name." Sirius added. "They've agreed to take Harry and the others as students, but they want to meet you tomorrow."

Ahsoka raised a brow at Sirius and he shrugged self-consciously.

"One of the Shamans wants to check that you're not actually a demon. Apparently they've had to put down several attempts by demon-sumoners to seize power, so they're slighty worried."

Ahsoka sighed and nodded. "Alright. I'll do it. But you two are coming with me."

"We wouldn't have it any other way." Remus grinned.

.

_**New York Times** _

_**The Future Is Here!** _

_In an incredible announcement that promises to totally rearrange everyday life, WolfTech Industries unveiled the room-temperature superconductor, a metallic alloy that allows for the transmission of electricity without any loss whatsoever. Already, power companies have placed orders for the replacement of over a million miles of cabling in order to significantly reduce the loss of power during transmission.  
_ _If this wasn't enough, WolfTech industries has unveiled fusion reactors that utilize the superconductors to create magnetic fields that can contain the power-generation process that converts hydrogen (which can be easily liberated from water via electrolysis) into helium, liberating huge amounts of power. The first Fusion power station opened last week in California and with at least two planned for each city, the price of electricity (and America's reliance on imported fuel) is set to plummet.  
_ _Finally, WolfTech unveiled something that has until now only existed in science fiction, repulsion field generators. These newly-dubbed_ Repulsorlifts _can lift heavy vehicles into the air, suspending them a meter or more above the ground. By angling the field, the vehicles can move or jet engines can be added for higher velocities. Several models of_ Repulsorlift Speeders _are already on the market and will be reviewed in our weekend edition.  
_ _With the American military eagerly purchasing special vehicles that can replace all their transport helicopters and Armored Personnel Carriers, as well as new cannons which do not use explosives and therefore have only a fraction of the recoil of traditional guns, all eyes are now on the up-and-coming company. What technological miracles will they unveil next?_

.

* * *

.

"Welcome to the Masachussets Concourse, I am Professor Martha Corey, deputy Headmistress of the school and I assume that you are the Potter Party"

Hermione looked round at the large, circular room with interest. On the perimeter of the lowest level (which was a circle about thirty meters wide) were four large gates. One of them had the bunker-like surround that indicated a Gringotts Gate while the second had an American Flag hanging above it. The other two were angled in a way that Hermione couldn't see that they were and a flight of stairs rose between each Gate, connecting to the next level (five meters wide) which had two-dozen Rune Doors set into the outside with more stairs linking upwards between them. Three more levels each held more Rune Doors, each level holding more than the level below and figures, both robed and muggle-clad, strode between and through the doors on errands of their own.

"I see you are impressed by the central Concourse." Martha smiled. "At the moment, it holds over forty Rune Doors, including the four Gates at the lowest level. However, it is designed to hold one-hundred and seventy-two when all the door-spaces are finally filled. The active doors on the lowest level lead to Gringotts and the central American Concourse."

"And with private Concourses, the number of connections increases immensely." Hermione noted, causing Martha to nod.

"Indeed. In fact, all connections to a Public Concourse must be from private Concourses with at least twenty potential connections."

"Heh." Ron laughed. "The Potter Concourse has… how many?"

"Currently forty-six doors, with the potential to hold a total maximum of about one hundred and forty under ideal circumstances." Harry replied. "Of course, we don't expect to have more than a hundred or so. The Potter Concourse is smaller than this, though, given it's a converted warehouse."

"Wow…" Martha breathed. "The largest here has only fifty potential connections."

A cough from behind the children caused Martha to blink, then her smile returned. "Ah, you would be Molly Weasley. Will you be accompanying your children on their introduction day?"

"No, I just wanted to see them off." Molly said, then she caught Fred in a large hug before bestowing one on George.

"It's alright, mum!" Ron said quickly. "We'll be back this evening, Salem isn't a boarding school, remember?"

"I know." Molly smiled, "But this is the second time I've sent you to a magical school and the same warning applies to all of you this time."

"We know," "No blowing up," "Toilets or," "Anything like that."

Molly fixed the twins with a gimlet stare as Martha tried to hide her laughter.

.

"Welcome to the Salem Institute, fifty miles from Danvers." Martha said as the group emerged from the small building that held the Rune Door connecting to the Masachussets Concourse. "Here, you will learn about magic as well as continuing your muggle education."

Ron made a sound of surprise and Martha looked at him.

"By doing so, should you decide to seek employment in the muggle world, you will have far more options open to you than if you simply studied magical subjects. In addition, many magical employers prefer that their employees know more than purely magical things. We find that by teaching subjects from both worlds, our students advance faster."

Martha paused to let the party take in the view. From their position atop a small hill, they could see the Salem academy, a tall tower that was cylindrical for the top third and square for the middle third. The lowest third was concealed by a three-storey triangular building with the square tower aligned with one of the sides and around it was a one-story circular building.

"The Salem Academy is based on an alchemical glyph apparently used in the creation of the Philosopher's stone." Martha explained, then she paused. "What?"

Harry tried not to smile. "We've all met Nicolas Flamel. We don't know where he is now, but he's the only one still alive who's managed to make a Philosopher's stone."

"He helped to found the Salem Academy!" Martha gasped. "Can you please contact him, ask him to visit?"

"I'll write to him." Harry smiled. "I'm sure my godfather knows how to contact him."

"That would be amazing." Martha smiled then she started to walk towards the school, motioning for them to follow her. "Once you are enrolled, you will be sorted into one of three houses. They are Good, Osborne and Tituba, named after the first three muggle victims of the Salem Witch trials. Although each house has a slightly different bias, it is nowhere near that of Hogwarts. The Good House seems to have taken its name as its mission statement, many of its graduates go into law enforcement, healing or education. Osborne House graduates generally head for managerial or research jobs whilst those from Tituba prefer the more hands-on jobs, although they also provide the largest number of military recruits. Again, this is indicitive of the largest minority and should not be seen as indicative of the Houses as a whole. Now, if you'll follow me, I'll show you around, and then we can get you Sorted."

"Does it involve an old hat?" Ron asked and Martha gave him an odd look.

"What?"

.

The Great Hall resembled a dome. As Harry followed Professor Corey through the entry arch and up the stairs, he realized that they had emerged from a doorway set into the front of the raised table that the staff were seated at. The students sat at four rows of curved tables that, from above, formed a concentric series of broken circles with the gaps aligned with the doors in the walls.

"The tables are in alphabetical, Housewise, from the left, three sections per house." Martha said quietly as she led them to the middle of the now-quieting hall. "The Head of House sits on the innermost side, as you go up a year, you'll move towards the outer tables, showing you are growing closer to entering the outside world. Now, please line here in alphabetical order by surname, thank you."

Martha chivied them into position, then she stepped up onto the low central dias.

"We have new students to be Sorted." She said, her voice somehow carrying across the whole hall without echoing. Will the Heads of Houses please stand and intoduce themselves."

The three adults sat on the inside of the inner tables rose and turned, picking up crystal-tipped staffs from beside them as they did so.

"I am Shaman Longfeather," The first one said, his eyes twinkling in a manner that reminded several of the new students of Dumbledore. "And it is my honor to lead the House of Good."

"My name is Professor Sandra McGonagall." Said the second, regal-looking lady, "And I am the head of the House of Osborne."

"I'm Professor Peter King," Said the third person, a slightly-overweight black man with a large smile. "I'm the one who leads the House of Tituba."

"I am Headmaster Franklin King." Said a tall white man from behind the Staff table. "No relation."

Several giggles from the students showed that it was a common joke.

"Welcome to Salem Academy. Deputy Headmistress, if you would be so kind?"

"Alright, if you could please come forwards as I announce your name." Professor Corey said. "Granger, Hermione."

Hermione walked forwards and at Martha's prompting, stood on the circular crystal plate inset into the dais. After a few seconds, the crystal glowed, as did the one on McGonagall's staff. The tables behind her erupted in cheers and Hermione walked across to take a seat in her new House.

"Longbottom, Neville."

Neville gulped and moved to the middle of the dais. Almost immediately, Longfeather's staff lit up and Nevlle moved across to his table where the shaman greeted him.

"Potter, Harry!"

Harry moved forwards to stand on the crystal disc. A moment passed, then it was Longfeather's staff that illuminated once again. Harry grinned and moved to take his place at the table beside Neville.

"Tonks, Dora."

Tonks stepped forwards and a moment later, she was heading for the Osborne tables.

"Weasley, Fred!"

Both twins stepped forwards, then looked at each other.

"I say, old bean, I'm Fred, you're George."

"No, I believe that you are mistaken. Today, it is _my_ turn to be Fred."

"Hang on, given what day it is, you are Gred and I am Forge."

"I must respectfully disagree, oh brother of mine, I am Forge, and _you_ are Gred!"

Martha buried her face in her hands as many of the students started to laugh.

"Oh, both of you just step on the crystal."

The twins stopped arguing and looked at each other.

"After you, Fred."

"No, after you, George."

The twins linked arms and skipped onto the dais, then proceeded to ballroom-dance onto the crystal disc before looking to see which staff was glowing.

"Well, it looks," "Like we are both," "Going to be," "In Tituba house!"

Professor King's belly laugh echoed across the hall as Fred and George pranced across to him, each one perfectly mirror-imaging the others actions.

"Weasley, Percy." Martha managed and Percy walked onto the disc, causing McGonagall's staff to illuminate. Moving across, he paused.

"Please forgive my curiosity, but are you related to Headmistress Minerva McGonagall of Hogwarts in Scotland?"

"She's my cousin." Sandra said and Percy nodded.

"I had wondered, I had doubts that your name of McGonagall was a co-incidence. Thank you for satisfying my curiosity on that matter."

"Weasley, Ron!"

Ron stepped forwards and looked round, seeing King's staff light up.

"Dammit." He muttered with resigned amusement. "Stuck with my twin brothers again."

.

* * *

.

"Welcome back!" Sirius half-shouted as he gathered as many of the incoming children as he could into a large group hug. "How was your first day?"

"Pretty good." Harry grinned as Sirius released them.

"It's more muggle-like than Hogwarts." Hermione smiled. "More staff, meaning that classes are smaller and the teachers can help us learn faster. And we can write with proper pens, not quills! Means we can write faster and with less mess!"

"Excellent." Sirius laughed as he started to chivvie the group up the Concourse stairs. "Molly's made one of her _famous_ teas for us, and I for one don't intend to let it go to waste."

.

"Hey Dad!" Ron shouted as he led the group through the door in a chaotic moving pile that only children are capable of. "How was work?"

"Hey kids." Arthur grinned as he dispensed hugs impartially. "Work was fine, we've got another factory up and running. The US army is starting to deploy AT-TE's to replace their current APC's and we're getting queries from the UK. Heh, I _love_ muggle acronyms."

"As long as you don't call them muggles to their faces." Sirius smiled.

"So," Harry grinned. "How are you enjoying that new speeder of yours?"

"It's okay." Sirius sighed. "I still prefer my bike, though."

"What?" Hermione gasped. "But… your speeder is faster, more agile, goes higher…"

"But it's totally _legal_." Sirius countered. "Half the fun of the bike was trying to avoid being caught using it since I didn't have a license. Being legal is _boring_."

"Being legal lets you progress faster."Remus grinned and Ahsoka nodded.

"The American Department of Magic has reviewed all the data we sent, as well as performed a couple of tests, and decreed that I am a sentient magical being, with all the rights and responsibilities that that brings."

Harry sprinted forwards and glomped Ahsokha. Laughing, she managed to avoid falling over and returned his hug.

"The Gaming community has expressed an interest in a new roleplaying game game that our newest WolfTech subsidiary has brought out." Remus added. " _Tales of the Old Republic_ is selling very well. We've already published a book of races as supplementary material, soon we'll have introduced all the major races of the Old Republic, and all the muggles out there think it's all fictional."

"It'll come as a real shock once they realize that the game packs are a stealthy way of preparing Earth for First Contact." Ahsoka added.

"Have you introduced the Togruta yet?" Harry asked and Ahsoka shook her head. "Why?"

"We need to get the game a bit more widespread before we sneak in my kind." Ahsoka shrugged. "Otherwise it's possible that someone in the United Kingdom will realize the connection between the game's creators and us, and do something _stupid_ about it."

Harry nodded unwillingly. "Yeah, I guess."

"On the plus side, we're planning to do so in a few months." Ahsoka continued, earning a startled look from Harry, "Plus supplementary material on Jedi and other Force-using organisations, including the Sith, the Baran Do Sages, the Zeison Sha, the Followers of Palawa and the Matukai."

"Wanna bet how many gamers declare themselves to be Sith?" Sirius snorted and Ahsoka shook her head at him.

"Unless they actually _have_ the ability to use the Force, they will be little threat." She said. "Besides, for those who _can_ use the Force, we are including information that'll encourage them to contact our newest company, Playful Cub."

"A covert way to possibly recruit more Jedi." Harry grinned. "I _like_ it!"


	20. Papers

**Daily Prophet**

_**Greengrass Re-Elected** _

_Four months after his incredible defeat of the spirit of Tom Riddle, Ladon Greengrass has resigned from his position as Interim Minister of Magic and has been elected as the new Minister of Magic. A true hero of the Wizarding World, Ladon Greengrass, a highly educated Pureblood Wizard, was personally responsible for the demise of the Dark Lord, a feat in which he was aided by his long-time friends Professor Severus Snape and Lord Lucius Malfoy, who selflessly tracked down and destroyed the two Soul Anchors that Tom Riddle had created, thus allowing Riddle's Soul to be dispatched._

_With over three-quarters of the Wizengamot supporting his re-election, Lord Greengrass had this to say:_

"I am honored and humbled by the trust that the Wizengamot, and indeed the entire wizarding world, has in me. I gratefully accept the position of Minister of Magic and I will do my utmost to help the wizarding world finish rebuilding, for once and for all placing the legacy of Tom Riddle where it belongs – In the past, never to rise again. _"_

_In related news, Lord Greengrass, Lord Malfoy and Professor Snape were all awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class, for their actions in defeating Tom Riddle for once and for all…_

* * *

.

* * *

_**New York Times** _

_**Army Upgraded** _

_Yesterday, the United States Army deployed the first wave of its new vehicles to Iraq as part of a peacekeeping force which is helping to create a new country tentatively known as Kurdistan. The vehicles, the Low Altitude Assault Transports and the All Terrain Tactical Enforcers are the linchpin of the deployed forces, as well as being the most advanced vehicles currently in deployment anywhere in the world._

_Resembling something from George Lucas' Flash Gordon films, the advanced systems of the vehicles were made possible by the creation of a room-temperature Superconductor by the company WolfTech. Already, over fifty AT-TE's have been deployed (replacing the previously-deployed APC's) as well as over a hundred LAAT/i (infantry) and LAAT/v (vehicle) craft._

[==]

_As you can see from the picture, the LAAT/i is a highly unusual craft, relying primarily on the repulsion field generators (also known as Repulsorlifts) to lift it into the skies. Boasting a weapons loadout better suited to a fighter/bomber, a LAAT/i can still carry over two dozen soldiers into combat…_

* * *

_._

* * *

_**Daily Prophet** _

_**Greyback On Trial** _

_The most notorious werewolf and one-time ally of Tom Riddle, Fenrir Greyback, was captured yesterday by an elite squad of Aurors and is due to be placed on trial today, charged with over two hundred counts of assault, murder, rape and premeditated infection of law-abiding witches and wizards._

_During the Great Wizarding War, Greyback was one of Riddle's most feared enforces, ruling over the Werewolves with claws of steel and a silver blade for those who tried to stand against him. At the height of his infamy, the Aurors had a 'Flee on sight' order due to his tendency to lure them into traps and literally feast on their flesh. Now, however, the once-feared werewolf is a shadow of his former self. Having had to flee when his pack turned on him, Fenrir found himself being hunted by the muggles and the Aurors. Although he managed to hide in Sherwood Forest for several years, he was finally tracked down and captured after he killed and ate a newlywed wizarding couple._

_It is believed that Fenrir is due to be sentenced to be thrown though the Veil…_

* * *

_._

* * *

_**New York Times** _

_**Space Station Started!** _

_In an event watched by millions on television, the first four sections of the International Space Station Daedalus linked up in orbit yesterday. Carried into space by custom-built starships designed and constructed by WolfTech, the four sections were lifted by the repulsorlift-using spaceships into position high above the Earth, where they were assembled by a team of eight astronauts._

_When completed, the Daedalus will be a cylinder almost half a mile long, with the outer layers being comprised of multiple habitation and science modules. These spinning rings will house the workforce as they work on building the inner hull, creating a pressurized spacegoing habitat with its own pseudogravity created by the spin along its longitudinal axis. Several of the external modules are already slated to be used as bays for one-person utility starships which will be launched by centrifugal force and will dock in the planned docking bay at the end of the cylinder, ready for transport back to their launching points._

_The Daedalus will be powered by a combination of Nuclear Fission, Nuclear Fusion and solar panel arrays, thus ensuring that it never lacks for power. Once the central section is completed (estimated to be in eight years time), the Daedalus will be opened up to civilian immigration, although a WolfTech spokeswoman noted that the dangers of space are not to be taken lightly…_

* * *

_._

* * *

_**Daily Prophet** _

_**Muggles In Space?** _

_In a shocking piece of news that has echoed across the entire planet, the muggles have managed to achieve something that we magicals had deemed as being totally impossible until now._

_They have built a tower in space!_

_The muggles have known for many years that if one get high enough, the concept of down loses all meaning and you cannot fall. The height required for this is far beyond that attainable by any broom or carpet and, until recently, the muggles have had to rely on massive piles of fireworks to throw objects (and insane muggles) up above the atmosphere._

_So what has changed?_

_Recently, a muggle company discovered how to copy our broomsticks and carpets, but without using magic! As impossible as it sounds, the company has managed to build over a dozen flying vehicles that can fly without needing wings and has sold them to the muggle equivalent hitwizards known as the United States Army, the United States being the colonies that rebelled against the benevolent english rule for reasons that are still not understood._

_The muggles claim that this station is the first step to colonizing the other planets of the solar system. Although most wizards believe that such a thing would be totally impossible, the Daily Prophet must point out that building a tower in space was thought to be impossible as well until very recently…_

* * *

_._

* * *

_**The Howl** _

_**First issue published!** _

_Welcome to The Howl, the official newspaper for the Wolfalorians and other werewolves._

_In The Howl, we will do our best to relay all the news that affects the lives of our werewolf readers, as well as any and all allied groups such as the Jedi Order, the Mage Rangers and other organisations._

_The publishing of this paper comes at an appropriate time since the first American school for werewolves has just been opened. Equipped with containment cages and warded areas where werewolves can roam in their transformed state, the Pack Range School has opened its doors to those afflicted with lycanthropy. With teachers who are werewolves themselves, all students at Pack Range are guaranteed to have people that can discuss their situation with, people who will not judge them for what has happened to them…_

* * *

_._

* * *

_**New York Times** _

_**New Scientific** _ **_Breakthroughs_ **

_In what is becoming an almost commonplace occurrence, WolfTech has showcased not just one but_ two _new technologies, both of which would normally be the purview of science fiction writers._

_The first piece of technology (and one which has caused a slight rethink in the design of the Daedalus project) is energy-based artificial gravity! Although it uses quite a bit of power (hence why the original plan of two-thirds of the Daedalus being a rotating cylinder remains the same), the new technology will allow for full-gravity habitats in zero-g as well as reducing the g-forces that pilots feel when making extreme maneuvers._

_The second piece of technology is projected radiation shielding. Cosmic rays and space radiation have long been considered a threat, this is no longer the case. Although it doesn't stop solid objects, radiation cannot pass through one of these shields which the Government is even now having installed at the nuclear power plants around the country, reducing any threat of radioactive contamination to almost zero…_

* * *

_._

* * *

_**Daily Prophet** _

_**Halfblood Appointed** _

_For the first time in wizarding history, a known Halfblood has been appointed as a Department Head, thus marking an end to the generations of hidden bias in the Wizarding World. Wilfred Perkins, formerly a simple staff member in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office during the time that it was led by the now-fugitive Arthur Weasley, was promoted to lead the department yesterday._

_Minister of Magic Ladon Greengrass had this to say:_

It is to my eternal shame that I have not taken this step earlier, Wilfred Perkins is an example of a loyal employee at the Ministry and had he not been held back by those who held his birth against him, he should have attained this position a decade ago. It is therefore with great pleasure that I confirm Wilfred Perkins' promotion and wish him all the best in his new role. Thank you.

_Wilfred Perkins is the first officially-recognized half-blood to have been promoted to department head. The last one was Theodore Thunderson who attained the rank of Director of the Department of Magical Creatures in 1847 before being outed as having a muggleborn father and being summarily dismissed, tried and imprisoned in Azkaban for six months for supplying false information to the Ministry of Magic…_

* * *

_._

* * *

_**The Howl** _

_**Ahsoka Tano Granted Full Sentient Status** _

_In a landmark decision yesterday, the American Department of Magic issued a statement confirming that Ahsoka Tano, a Togruta female from the planet Shili, is a fully-recognized Witch with all the rights, privileges and responsibilities of a sentient being._

_With this final ruling, Jedi Knight Tano is now free to travel anywhere in the United States so long as she does not break the International Statute of Secrecy. This means that Ms Tano can now go anywhere in the American Wizarding World without fear._

_The woman who rescued Harry Potter (known by the British as_ The-Boy-Who-Lived _), Ahsoka raised young Harry in the ways of the Jedi, training him in the usage and morality of the Force. Several of Harry's friends have also become Jedi Padawans (Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood and Abraham Black) and Ahsoka is still on the lookout for other possible Jedi candidates._

_The Department of Magic has confirmed that it sees membership in the Jedi Order as meaning that the person in question is equal to a Magical Sentient, a decision which is fortunate given that one of the Padawans is a muggle, albeit one who is already being acknowledged by the others as a natural in the use of the Lightsaber, the traditional swordlike weapon of the Jedi Knight…_

* * *

_._

* * *

_**New York Times** _

_**Moonbase Plans** _

_Today, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration unveiled plans for a base on the moon. Under the current designation of Moonbase 1, the new outpost will consise of a large number of ray-shielded environmental domes linked by enclosed monorails. Like the International Space Station, it will be under the control of a multinational committee headed by an American representative._

_The Moonbase will join Station Daedalus as being the primary staging posts for the eventual exploration and colonisation of the rest of the solar system. With the almost limitless resources available in the asteroid belt and the gas giants, it is simply a matter of being able to reach them, a dream that is now much, much closer to reality…_

* * *

_._

* * *

_**Daily Prophet** _

_**Case Revisited – Rubeus Hagrid Exonorated** _

_The Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts, Rubeus Hagrid, was yesterday officially declared innocent of the events surrounding the Chamber of Secrets and the resulting death of one of the students fifty years ago. With proof that the events in question were orchestrated by none of than the now-deceased Dark Lord Tom Riddle, who unleashed a Basilisk on the school, a full pardon for the half-giant Hagrid has been issued._

_Ladon Greengrass had this to say:_

"With this finding of innocence, we draw a line under one of the longest shameful episodes created by the Ministry of Magic and its previous focus on _looking_ good rather than _doing_ good. As part of our restitution to Mr Hagrid, the Ministry will fund private tuition to help him take his OWLs and any three NEWTs of his choice. In addition, the Ministry will pay for a new wand, given that his old one was broken in a grievous miscarriage of justice. On behalf of the Ministry of Magic, I extend my deepest apologies to Mr Hagrid, and hope to one day earn his forgiveness."

_When informed of this, Rubeus Hagrid was briefly overwhelmed with emotion and burst into tears of joy. A great favorite with the staff and students of Hogwarts, many have said that the only thing larger than Hagrid's size is his heart, and that he doesn't have a single hint of evil in him._

_Once again, the Ministry of Magic is doing its utmost to ensure that_ all _who fall under its juristiction are treated fairly and in accordance with the law…_

* * *

_._

* * *

_**The Howl** _

_**More Jedi!** _

_During a recent visit to the Salem Institute on the last day of term, Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano encountered two people who have the potential to learn to use the Force, one a muggleborn student and the second a muggle cousin of one of the current students. Both have accepted the offer of training in the ways of the Jedi._

_The fact that a muggle can become a Jedi has been established for some time, but was never truly acknowledged in the Wizarding World until now. Muggle Jedi (or simply Jedi) differ from Jedi Mages in that they cannot cast spells, but conversely, given the population disparity, it is expected that once the Jedi Order becomes established enough to recruit in both the magical and muggle worlds, there will be far more Jedi than Jedi Mages._

_It is known that Ahsoka Tano has already placed guidelines to ensure that when she retires as leader of the Jedi Order, a non-magical Jedi will take her place as leader of the Jedi Council in order to avoid the appearance of superiority of Jedi Mages…_

* * *

_._

* * *

_**New York Times** _

_**Landspeeders Take To The Roads** _

_The first road-legal and publicly-available non-military Landspeeder, the first of the Astral-line of repulsorlift limousines, was put on sale yesterday and was promptly purchased despite its price tag of one and a half million dollars. The hand-built vehicle uses a combination of repulsorlift technology and low-temperature turbine engines, allowing it to cross terrain that would stymie most cars, as well as travelling across bodies of water with equal ease. Crewed by a single pilot/driver, the Astral's rear compartment is hand-finished with rare woods, leather seats, a minibar and a full electronic entertainment setup._

_Noted vehicle reporter and star of the BBC program Top Gear Jeremy Clarkson had the privilege of trying out the Astral Prototype before it went on sale. After exploring (and admitting to being very impressed by) the aft section, Clarkson then took the controls. The enjoyment that he had can be seen by the fact that the landspeeder now belongs to Jeremy Clarkson, who has sworn that he is never going to sell it…_

* * *

_._

* * *

_**The Howl** _

_**Cure!** _

_All across America, werewolves are celebrating the succesful trials of the Lycanthropic Adjustment Potion. Although the potion does not remove the lycanthropic curse, it changes it, transforming the werewolf into a wolf animagus, albeit one who still has to transform whenever they are in the light of the full moon._

_Unfortunately, the Potion cannot be used by anyone who has yet to reach their age of magical stability (usually around 17), so if a child is infected by a werewolf, they will remain subject to the werewolf curse until their magic finally stabilizes, allowing them to take the potion to change the curse into a talent._

_The first werewolf to undergo the potion trial was Remus Lupin, long-time friend to the dog-animagus Sirius Black (who became an animagus so that he could help his friend at full moon). Now able to take his wolf-form at will without having to worry about infecting others with the lycanthropy virus, Mr Lupin has declared that the potion is the best thing he has ever had happen to him…_


	21. Preparations

"Enter."

The cloaked and hooded figure walked into the room at Lucius' call and Lucius gave him a thin smile.

"Have a seat. What may I do for you?"

" _I am here to report on Project Ubermensch._ " The figure said in a magically-disguised voice that left no clue as to its age or gender. Lucius' eyes widened.

"You mean…?"

" _There have been several breakthroughs, as well as the projected spell that you requested, we also have a variation of the_ Imperius _variant that only affects non-magicals._ "

Lucius' face went from astonished to an evil smirk that would not have looked out of place on a pitchfork-wielding figure. "Really? That's excellent!"

" _My team is currently working on modifying the spell to meet your requirements, allowing it to be fed from a source other than a wizard and making it so that those affected are simply far more obedient to orders rather than slaves with no initiative. As yet, however, we have been unable to find a way to link it to blood-status, although we have developed a runic skin-array that protects against the effects, even against the version that affects all regardless of magical potential._ "

"Doesn't matter." Lucius smirked. "Does the muggle-version affect Squibs?"

" _Yes, at least those of a low level. Those who are capable of passive magic such as potion making are less affected while full witches and wizards are immune._ "

"Brilliant." Lucius grinned. "You have done well."

" _We expect to be able to link it to the ley-lines by halloween. We suggest using Stonehenge as the primary loci due to the number of ley-lines that meet there._ "

"Excellent." Lucius gloated. "Now, what about this werewolf cure that made the papers recently?"

" _We have managed to get our hands on two samples of it._ " The figure said. " _We tested one on a prisoner and it worked as claimed, he changed from being a werewolf to a wolf animagi. After a night in the light of the full moon, he learned how to transform at will._ "

"And are you able to reverse engineer it?"

" _Not without further samples. We believe that we have isolated most of the ingredients used, but the spells applied to the potion are proving somewhat difficult to identify. We think at least one spell has been specifically created for it, and there are signs that alchemy plays a role in the potion's creation._ "

"Alchemy…" Lucius mused. "Interesting… I wonder if Nicolas Flamel could be involved, he's one of maybe thirty Master Alchemists worldwide."

" _Thirty-seven, and we have already confirmed the locations of twenty-three of them with probable locations for another nine. Flamel is not amongst that number._ "

Lucius acknowledged the correction with a nod.

"So… if Flamel is involved, we may yet be able to get the secret of the Philosophers stone from him. I had almost given up hope on that. Very well. Anything else that I need to know?"

" _We have found Harry Potter-Tano, he is attending the Salem Institute in America, along with the Weasley boys, the Longbottom scion and the Granger girl._ "

Lucius blinked, then frowned in thought. "Thai is… interesting. America, hmmm? That puts him out of our reach for now."

" _We could send an assassin..._ "

"No." Lucius said sharply. "Potter is a Jedi, we still do not know the limits of their powers. It is quite possible that he would capture the assassin and use it to turn the ICW against us. No, we leave them alone for now. As long as they are in America, they won't be able to do anything. After all, American muggles are not known as bible-smashers for nothing, they go insane at the slightest _hint_ of magic. Even the smallest rumour drives them mad."

" _As you say, my lord._ " The cloaked figure concurred. " _Any more instructions?_ "

"No." Lucius said, leaning back in his chair and steepling his fingers. "Everything is going according to plan at the moment, I don't want to risk anything that might upset it. Soon, a new order will rule. All is going as I have forseen…"

.

* * *

.

The bolt of light flew from the barrel of the rifle and impacted against the target, causing several of the watchers to whistle.

"With our current inability to synthesize proper blaster gas, we took a different approach in arming the Wolfalorians." Remus said, flicking the safety on and placing the rifle down. "We've used a special compound that holds magic very well and the rifle's runic arrays imbue the gas with several spells before launching it. One spell prevents the gas from spreading out until it hits something or the spell wears off. Another spell holds the payload stable while a third interacts with the runes engraved in the barrel to launch the gas shot at high speed.

"The bolt itself can be imbued with several different spells. The easiest is a variation on the stinging hex, while a colour-change spell and then a stunner are the next easiest. We also managed to get a _Reducto_ and a _Bombarda_ to work, but the _Aveda Kadavra_ proved impractical, it just will not stabilize. We think it may be because of the modified _Lumos_ that holds the bolt together.

"As you can see here, we have several different versions of the mage-gun, all of which can easily be used by muggles. We have pistols, good for up to twenty shots before needing to have the power pack replaced, the rifle, up to a fifty, and finally my personal favorite. The rotary blaster."

As he spoke, Rumus donned a large backpack and grabbed the lead dangling from it, plugging it into the side of a six-barreled weapon that looked like it should be mounted on a vehicle. Picking it up by the two top-mounted handles, he flicked a switch and the barrels started to spin. A second button caused the gun to fire,

"Enter."

The cloaked and hooded figure walked into the room at Lucius' call and Lucius gave him a thin smile.

"Have a seat. What may I do for you?"

" _I am here to report on Project Ubermensch._ " The figure said in a magically-disguised voice that left no clue as to its age or gender. Lucius' eyes widened.

"You mean…?"

" _There have been several breakthroughs, as well as the projected spell that you requested, we also have a variation of the_ Imperius _varient that only affects non-magicals._ "

Lucius' face went from astonished to an evil smirk that would not have looked out of place on a pitchfork-wielding figure. "Really? That's excellent!"

" _My team is currently working on modifying the spell to meet your requirements, allowing it to be fed from a source other than a wizard and making it so that those affected are simply far more obedient to orders rather than slaves with no initiative. As yet, however, we have been unable to find a way to link it to blood-status, although we have developed a runic skin-array that protects against the effects, even against the version that affects all regardless of magical potential._ "

"Doesn't matter." Lucius smirked. "Does the muggle-version affect Squibs?"

" _Yes, at least those of a low level. Those who are capable of passive magic such as potion making are less affected while full witches and wizards are immune._ "

"Brilliant." Lucius grinned. "You have done well."

" _We expect to be able to link it to the ley-lines by halloween. We suggest using Stonehenge as the primary loci due to the number of ley-lines that meet there._ "

"Excellent." Lucius gloated. "Now, what about this werewolf cure that made the papers recently?"

" _We have managed to get our hands on two samples of it._ " The figure said. " _We tested one on a prisoner and it worked as claimed, he changed from being a werewolf to a wolf animagi. After a night in the light of the full moon, he learned how to transform at will._ "

"And are you able to reverse engineer it?"

" _Not without further samples. We believe that we have isolated most of the ingredients used, but the spells applied to the potion are proving somewhat difficult to identify. We think at least one spell has been specifically created for it, and there are signs that alchemy plays a role in the potion's creation._ "

"Alchemy…" Lucius mused. "Interesting… I wonder if Nicolas Flamel could be involved, he's one of maybe thirty Master Alchemists worldwide."

" _Thirty-seven, and we have already confirmed the locations of twenty-three of them with probable locations for another nine. Flamel is not amongst that number._ "

Lucius acknowledged the correction with a nod.

"So… if Flamel is involved, we may yet be able to get the secret of the Philosophers stone from him. I had almost given up hope on that. Very well. Anything else that I need to know?"

" _We have found Harry Potter-Tano, he is attending the Salem Institute in America, along with the Weasley boys, the Longbottom scion and the Granger girl._ "

Lucius blinked, then frowned in thought. "Thai is… interesting. America, hmmm? That puts him out of our reach for now."

" _We could send an assassin..._ "

"No." Lucius said sharply. "Potter is a Jedi, we still do not know the limits of their powers. It is quite possible that he would capture the assassin and use it to turn the ICW against us. No, we leave them alone for now. As long as they are in America, they won't be able to do anything. After all, American muggles are not known as bible-smashers for nothing, they go insane at the slightest _hint_ of magic. Even the smallest rumour drives them mad."

" _As you say, my lord._ " The cloaked figure concurred. " _Any more instructions?_ "

"No." Lucius said, leaning back in his chair and steepling his fingers. "Everything is going according to plan at the moment, I don't want to risk anything that might upset it. Soon, a new order will rule. All is going as I have forseen…"

.

The bolt of light flew from the barrel of the rifle and impacted against the target, causing several of the watchers to whistle.

"With our current inability to synthesize proper blaster gas, we took a different approach in arming the Wolfalorians." Remus said, flicking the safety on and placing the rifle down. "We've used a special compound that holds magic very well and the rifle's runic arrays imbue the gas with several spells before launching it. One spell prevents the gas from spreading out until it hits something or the spell wears off. Another spell holds the payload stable while a third interacts with the runes engraved in the barrel to launch the gas shot at high speed.

"The bolt itself can be imbued with several different spells. The easiest is a variation on the stinging hex, while a colour-change spell and then a stunner are the next easiest. We also managed to get a _Reducto_ and a _Bombarda_ to work, but the _Aveda Kadavra_ proved impractical, it just will not stabilise. We think it may be because of the modified _Lumos_ that holds the bolt together.

"As you can see here, we have several different versions of the mage-gun, all of which can easily be used by muggles. We have pistols, good for up to twenty shots before needing to have the power pack replaced, the rifle, up to a fifty, and finally my personal favorite. The rotary blaster."

As he spoke, Rumus donned a large backpack and grabbed the lead dangling from it, plugging it into the side of a six-barreled weapon that looked like it should be mounted on a vehicle. Picking it up by the two top-mounted handles, he flicked a switch and the barrels started to spin. A second button caused the gun to fire, unleashing an almost a constant stream of spells that shredded the line of targets.

"Waaahhooooo!"

As the gun cycled down, Remus turned to face the shocked crowd, his eyes sparkling and a huge grin on his face.

"Merlin, I _love_ this gun! Six barrels of pure spell hell that can smash through any wand-cast shield. Over a hundred spells a second in a variety of combinations and you can switch spells without having to stop firing."

"So, when's the wedding?" Sirius quipped and Remus glared at him.

"Anyway," He huffed, "We aren't going to release this to the army, especially since the bolts are slower than bullets and have less of an effective range, but we _do_ have permission to use a powered-down version for entertainment purposes in the muggle world, in a manner similar to paintguns, as long as we release the plans for the real blasters so that the muggles have an explanation that they can work from. In the meantime, our R&D department is searching for a way to create a stable form of the blaster gas and the Wolfalorians are already building more of these, they're going to be _our_ signature weapons in the same way that the lightsabers are for Jedi. In fact, we're planning on upscaling these and mounting them on our vehicles."

"It occurs to me that if we can get starships there, then Saturn, Uranus or Jupiter might be a viable source for Tibanna or similar." Ahsoka said, earning several shocked looks. "What? They're _gas giants_. Loads of different gasses just waiting to be collected and refined. I'd be shocked if there _wasn't_ something there that makes a useful blaster gas."

For a moment everyone simply looked at each other and then Sirius nodded.

"She's probably right. Heh, I guess that the rest of us are only able to think about things on Earth unless reminded otherwise. Since Ahsoka's from the stars, she naturally thinks bigger."

.

* * *

.

Lucius appeared on the side of the hill and quickly returned his portkey to his pocket before striding down towards the group of Ministry cursebreakers standing outside the faintly-glowing ward-line.

"Have you made any progress, gentlemen?"

One of the cursebreakers turned and saluted.

"Lord Malfoy, we… we weren't expecting to see you here."

"This _is_ the home of one of the families linked to the demon-worshippers." Lucius said, looking curiously at the wards that were obscuring and protecting the Burrow. "How could I not be here? And why are you not through, yet? It's been several months now."

"Because… we can't _get_ through." Came the embarrassed reply. "We've tried everything, even tunneling underneath. That ward is a full _sphere_."

Malfoy blinked. "What? Then… where does it get its magic from?"

"We don't know." The cursebreaker shrugged as his team-mates fired another salvo of spells. The surface of the wards seemed to glow brighter, revealing that it was comprised of hundreds of linked triangles which glowed in several different colors before fading. "We can't get through the outer layer, although we have managed to analyse it somewhat. Let me show you."

A glowing sphere appeared above the cursebreaker's hand and a quick motion removed the outer layer, revealing a similar layer underneath.

"As you can see, there are two mutually-reinforcing layers of wards, shunts, shields and power converters. It can take any magical attack, even the _Unforgivables_ , and turn it into a power boost for the wards. Underneath that are a pair of unusual magical spherical frameworks that reinforce the entire structure, keeping it rigid."

Lucius looked at the image curiously. "Then where does it get its magic from?"

"We don't know. There isn't a single magic-flow that could be supplying the shield from out here, so the source has to be internal. But even if it was, it _should_ have run out by now. The amount of magic something like this needs, you'd need a _dozen_ Merlins to power it."

"A Gringott's Gate, perhaps?" Lucius mused and the cursebreaker shook his head.

"You can't run much magic through them without the gate destabilizing. To pump through as much magic as this shield needs would cause the Gate to explode. It can't be done."

Lucius' frown deepened. "Yet it somehow has been."

"We _know_!" The man snarled, then he shook his head. "I'm sorry, my Lord. We've tried every way we know of to penetrate the shield, and we've failed. We even lost two Dementors to it when we tried to send them through. No-one has any idea _how_ the caster or casters managed to create this. By every account, it's impossible. I'm only glad that this is a unique case."

"It isn't." Lucius grimaced, earning a shocked look. "Black Manor and Potter Manor are both under the same shield, as is the Rookery. There's also one surrounding a muggle warehouse in Swindon, we have _no_ idea why, and my sources have reported that there may be yet another at the Longbottom estate, _something_ stopped the Aurors who went there to question the Longbottoms, although given Lady Augusta's political connections, she probably doesn't need that shield…"

"Bloody _hell_! Sorry, sir."

"Do not worry about it." Lucius said reassuringly. "You have encapsulated _my_ reaction to the situation quite nicely. Keep trying, but if you haven't made any progress by the end of the week, give up and simply set monitoring charms."

"A… as you command, my lord."

.

"I'm so glad that we were able to move back home." Molly said as she leaned back into her husband's embrace while they watched the blond figure vanish. "These shields are absolutely brilliant."

"Indeed they are, mollywobbles." Arthur murmured into her hair, causing her to giggle. "With our shields powered by one of the new fusion reactors, even all the cursebreakers in England working together can't break through."

Molly _hmm_ 'd in agreement, her hands lightly playing with Arthur's hands that were interlaced across her stomach, then she spoke.

"Tonight, our children will be sleeping in their bedrooms again."

Arthur chuckled. "I think they'll have mixed feelings, given how much they enjoyed Padfoot's Palace."

Molly released Arthur's hands and turned round in his arms, reaching up to hug him tightly.

"I was thinking that before they get home, we should…"

"HELLO!" "Mum?!" "Hey, dad!" "Yoohoo! It's us!"

The chorus of shouts echoing from downstairs interrupted what Molly was about to say and she buried her face into her husband's shoulder as he restrained his laughter.

"I guess we need to discuss the concept of timing with them." He chortled as the door slammed open to reveal their youngest five children.

"Eeeew," Ron proclaimed as the children took in the sight in front of them. "They're going all kissy-kissy…ow! Ginny!"

Ginny lowered her hand and glared at her brother as he rubbed the back of his head.

"You are such a prat sometimes."

.

"There go the cursebreakers." Neville said and his gran nodded.

"These wards are _very_ good." She said, then she sighed. "It's a shame that they are needed, but with Malfoy pulling the strings, it just isn't safe out there any more."

"It'll only be for a few more years." Neville said reassuringly. "Once we all graduate from Salem, we'll head back out and set things right. After all, we have the Wolfalorians on our side now."

Augusta nodded.

"I wonder if they'll be able to help mum and dad?" Neville asked quietly, glancing upwards in the general direction of the room where his parents rested under the watchful care of a pair of med-trained Wolfalorians.

"St Mungo's didn't." Augusta sighed as she also glanced up. "I hope the Jedi can help, but I don't hold out much hope. At least they're safe. That's all that really matters for now."

.

* * *

.

" _This is Tina Morrison reporting from the first International Convention for Advanced Technology, primarily funded by the ever-more-famous WolfTech Industries, the company which has brought science fiction into our world! Held in a custom-built complex, ICAT has stands hosted not only by WolfTech, but other great names in the industry such as Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Grunnings, Daewoo, Lockheed, Grumman and many other organisations that routinely operate on the cutting edge of technology.  
_ _"With its advances proving popular in both military and civilian markets, WolfTech's approach of licensing out its copyrighted discoveries for minuscule payments has led to many other companies eagerly incorporating their creations into their own products. The results have been startling with passenger jets that no longer need runways, computers that are superfast while never overheating, power grids which are so efficient that there is_ no _lost power during transmission and vehicles that move by means of repulsorlifts instead of wheels. We even have personal jetpacks, as being tested by the security branch of WolfTech, the Wolfalorians.  
"_ _To celebrate this, the first of what is intended to become an annual technology festival, WolfTech is releasing plans for its newest product for anyone to create for a one-off charge of one dollar, electronic-rifles that use charged gas to deliver a small sting. Paintball just got futuristic and WolfTech will be holding the first Stinger Competition this afternoon with teams already registering!"_

.

From the private box, Ahsoka looked out through the one-way glass at the crowds flooding through the largest hall in the complex, a hall devoted purely to WolfTech and its products. Pride of place was given to a display comprising a LAAT/i, a LAAT/v, an AT-TE and a BARC Speeder, all of which had panels removed, giving the milling throng a glimpse of the technology that made them work.

"You've changed the world already." Said a familiar voice and Ahsoka smiled as Nicolas Flamel joined her, looking out at the thronging crowds. "Even in my wildest dreams, I had not imagined half of what you take for granted. I'm glad that Penny and I decided to stick around."

Ahsoka nodded.

"By the way, we have managed to find a way of recreating Bacta."

Ahsoka's brows shot up and she spun round. "Really?!"

"Oh yes." Nicolas smiled as he rummaged in his jacket pocket, pulling out a vial filled with a thick blue liquid. "The hardest part was changing the fungi to produce the Alazhi and Kavam, then creating the medium to suspend the mixture in. We were able to reverse-engineer it from the sample in your medikit."

"How long before you can mass-produce it?" Ahsoka asked eagerly and Flamel laughed.

"Perenelle is already overseeing the growth of the fungi needed. It can't be rushed, but we should be able to begin full-scale production in about four months."

Ahsoka's grin was matched by Nicolas'.

"I must say that although it isn't nearly as effective as the Elixir of Life, it certainly tastes a _lot_ better." Flamel added.

.

Remus Lupin loped onto the stage and looked out at the crowd before removing his helmet. Checking that his throat-mic was still attached, he waited until five more armoured Wolfalarians had joined him, each one carrying a different weapon.

"Welcome to the first Stinger Competition. WolfTech has already handed out plans for the stinger-guns to other companies, so we expect to soon see more of these training weapons on the market.  
"Most of you already know the rules for paintball, Stinger uses similar rules. Special monitoring harnesses will be provided, if you are hit three times, you are out. Teams of up to twelve may compete, but a larger team is not always an advantage.  
"To win, you must defeat your enemy team in its entirety, or take half of them out and seize their flag. Each team starts off with twenty basic weapon points to use in equipping their forces with an additional five points per team member. Each round you clear nets you another twenty points for each unhit member, ten points if they've only taken one hit and five points if they've taken two. Any who have been hit three times do not get extra points. Every member of the team must be equipped with at least one weapon.  
"And now for the weapons themselves!  
"The standard DC-15 sidearm costs three points. It can fire twenty shots before needing the power pack replaced and has an effective range of about thirty meters. Each additional powerpack costs two points."

As Remus spoke, the first Wolfalorian held up a pistol, then turned and fired a salvo at the target set up at the back of the deep stage.

"Next is the DC-17, a modular rifle. The assault rifle configuration costs six points, can fire fifty shots between reloads at three shots a second and has a range of about a hundred meters. Reloads for the DC-15 rifles cost three points each.  
"The Sniper configuration costs seven points, can fire shots at one shot every two seconds and has a range of a full kilometer, although the extra range means it uses twice the energy per shot.  
"The Grenade version at five points holds a single grenade with a variety of payloads, for this display, we've loaded them with paint. Firing range is a hundred and fifty meters, but it needs reloading between shots. Throwing by hand is also a valid method. Each grenade costs a single point, but being caught in its blast radius counts as two hits.  
"And now, the big daddy of the Stinger weapons, the Z-6 Rotary Stinger Cannon!"

Remus paused as the hugely-muscled Wolfalorian wielding the multibarrelled rifle swung it round and pressed the trigger. Within the space of a few seconds, the sheer impact of the stinging bolts had sent the four freestanding targets tumbling backwards.

"Costing a whopping _forty_ points, the Z-6 can fire an amazing eighteen shots a second, with the backpack powercells providing up to five minutes of continuous fire! Heavy as hell and with a significant gyroscopic effect due to the spinning barrels, the Z-6 is not for the faint-hearted or the weak-armed. If you run out of power, each additional backpack costs fifteen points.  
"Spy remotes tell you where the enemy is and cost three points, but are easily shot down.  
"Helmets, padding and other safety equipment is provided free of charge and is available for sale, should you wish to customize it yourself.  
"Registry desks are located to the left and right, the competition will commence in one hour!"

With a roar, the crowd began flowing to where the WolfTech staff were waiting.

.

" _This is Tina Morrison reporting live from the third day of the first International Convention for Advanced Technology where a hard-fought battle is underway in the stage below us. A battlefield a kilometre deep and half again as wide, boasting multiple terrains and covered with cameras for the viewing public and one of three in use for this competition. We are joined byWolfTech representative Arthur Weasley. Mr Weasley…"_

" _Arthur, please."_

"… _Arthur, what do you think about the skills being shown here today?"_

" _Well, I'm not a military man, I'm a bureaucrat by inclination, but what I've seen has_ amazed _me. The warriors below have learned to use the guns incredibly well and have used tactics that I've never seen before. I thought the Wolfalorians were good, but these people could probably hold their own against them…"_

.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Honored Guests, distinguished visitors… did I leave anyone out?"

A ripple of laughter met Sirius' joke and he grinned as he lifted the microphone to his mouth once again.

"Over the last two days, we have seen thirty-two teams whittled down. They have all fought with honor, skill and discipline, using tactics and techniques any army would be proud to claim for their own. Now, however, we have the last two teams, the champions who have managed to claw their way to the final battle. Those they beat in their last battles have won a thousand dollars each for the skills and bravery they have shown…"

Sirius paused as a massive roar of cheering echoed and he held his hand up, waiting for it to subside.

"For reaching the final, each contestant here will receive _two_ thousand dollars, while WolfTech Industries will donate _half a million dollars_ to the charity of the winning team's choice!"

Another roar of approval echoed from the stands and Remus motioned for the two team captains to advance to stand by Sirius.

"For the eight-man Devil's Own, with a total score of three-hundred and ninety five and a reserve of eighty-nine points, _Captain John Williams_!"

John grinned and waved at the cheering crowd.

"And for the seven-girl Themyscerans, with a total score of four-hundred and fifteen and a reserve of ninety-six points, _Captain Lucy Walker_!"

The cheering was even louder as the twenty-something dancer spun and curtsied.

"You all know the drill, head to the armories and tool up, then board the larties and deploy!"

The team captains waved once more and moved to the sides of the stage, their teams following them. A moment later, the screens around the battleground lit up, showing the armory desks.

"As you know, each team can use the weapons they've acquired, but need new power packs and ammo to replace that which they have used for each new round." Sirius said as the WolfTech armorers began passing the respective teams boxes of power packs which they distributed amongst themselves. "Oh! It looks like Williams is using half his reserve points to get a _third_ Z-6 for his team!" Sirius mock-gasped. "The Themyscerans only have one, but they're going heavy on the grenades, taking advantage of the modular nature of the DC-17s to get the launchers cheaper, as well as stocking up on the remotes... and it looks like they're ready to deploy! Off they go to the larties which will take them to their starting positions. No flags this round, it's a fight to the finish!"

The roar of the crowd almost drowned out the sound of the two larties flying overhead on their way to deploy the opposing teams.

"Looks like it should be interesting." Said one of the visiting generals in the WolfTech box. "I saw the vehicle display a few months ago, these new weapons have caught our attention. I assume that they can be modified to be combat-ready?"

"They can in theory." Remus nodded. "However, we are having trouble sourcing some of the required materials, which is why we released the plans. We are hoping that _someone_ figures out how to create a version that works as we know it theoretically can."

"If I didn't know about the links WolfTech had, I'd be putting money on you going bankrupt." Came the reply. "As it is, I'm looking forwards to seeing what the weapons can do once fully functional. They're starting."

Remus nodded as several reconnaissance remotes rose from the Themysceran positions. One promptly dropped back down, having been hit by a barrage of stinger bolts from a Z-6 and deactivating while the other two went into preprogrammed evasion maneuvers.

"Williams is trying to brute-force his way through." The army general noted. "My money is on the Themyscerans, they understand the concepts of maneuver and recon."

Sirius nodded. "I agree."

.

Lucy grinned and waved as the crowd cheered her and her team. John stood at the side of the stage, having taken his teams loss (all eight down in exchange for three) with suprisingly good grace.

"And with this match's conclusion and the victory of the Themyscerans, the first International Convention for Advanced Technology comes to an end." Sirius declaimed as several high-ranking board-members of the companies that had participated came onto the stage. "Let's hear it for all the companies that made this such a memorable experience for us all!"

The roar of approval was almost deafening and Sirius grinned as he waved.

"See you all next year!"

.

_**New York Times** _

_**Amazing ICAT** _

_Once again, WolfTech has demonstrated why it is one of the most popular companies in America, but this time it wasn't just because of a new product line.  
_ _The company sponsored and helped to run the first ever International Convention for Advanced Technology, a massive event where participating companies were encouraged to show the lines that have made them great, as well as the lines that they are developing. For WolfTech and its reclusive CEO, Sirius Black, it was the Stingers, hi-tech devices that take paintballing to a new level. For Nintendo, it was the currently-named SNES2 with true 3d graphics capability while Sony entered the gaming world with its Playstation console.  
_ _For those seeking to build their home cinemas, new flatscreen televisions have been released with screens ranging from one to four meters wide and with cinema-quality displays. With over a hundred new channels available over the fast-growing internet and with Sky hiring the NASA spacecraft to replace its satellites with new ones that are several orders of magnitude more capable, broadcasting and telecommunications have undergone a massive revolution. New video players from WolfTech have also hit the market that not only play the VHS tapes we are familiar with, but also play the new memorychip storage devices, rectangles of plastic smaller than your thumb yet capable of holding all the Lucusfilm Flash Gordan movies with room to spare for interactive special features, and for a lower price!  
_ _With all of this, it would seem that our future has become still brighter._

Lucius stared at the headline story of the muggle paper, then up at the cloaked figure that had handed it to him.

"Sirius Black…"

" _He is using his wealth in the muggle world to build his own army. Already, he has over two hundred lycans at his command and with the weapons that they are using, they will eventually become a force to be reckoned with._ "

Lucius nodded unwillingly, then glanced at the paper again.

"This could be a real threat. Lycans and rogue wizards and no real way of knowing _when_ they will strike… we may need to go for the _full_ Imperio field."

The cloaked figure remained silent and Lucius nodded.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Please have your department ready to apply the runic array to… I will provide a list. Can the array be applied _after_ the field goes active?"

" _Yes, Lord Malfoy, it can._ "

"Then for now, make sure your department has the runic array, as well as myself."

" _By your command._ "


	22. Taking Action

Headmistress Minerva McGonagall watched with a small smile as Filius Flitwick led in the gaggle of new first-years. Despite the small stature of the new children, Filius was by far the shortest one there, yet he somehow more than compensated by sheer force of personality. As the children stood in an uncertain crowd just inside the doors, Filius strode up the the table and retrieved the Sorting Stool and the Sorting Hat, placing them in the middle of the Hall before returning for the stepladder that would allow him to place the hat on the student's head. As the first name was called out, she glanced across to where Severus was sitting.

"Something wrong?"

Severus gave her a shocked look. "Albus hasn't told you?"

"Albus is enjoying his retirement." Minerva pointed out. "With _You-know_ … I mean, with _Riddle_ gone and all his Horcruxes destroyed and the Prophecy fulfilled, even if it _wasn't_ by Harry, Albus accepted an invitation from my cousin to go to America. Tell me what?"

"Lucius Malfoy is up to something, something big." Severus said quietly."He has created his own alliance, mainly former Death Eaters, and is keeping them under control."

"I haven't heard about any attacks on the muggleborn." Minerva frowned and Severus nodded.

"Because there haven't been. Malfoy has been holding them back, giving them tasks of a more… _subtle_ nature. And he has his researchers working on something. Something big."

"Researchers?"

Severus let out a mirthless laugh. "Come now, Minerva. Did you really think that all the dark spells that the Death Eaters used came _just_ from dark grimoires? Most of the spells were created by or modified by Lucius' researchers in order to allow even the weakest Death Eater to use them. It was the researchers who came up with the Dark Mark for Riddle. Lucius has them under so many loyalty oaths and compulsions that they'd willingly _avada kedavra_ themselves should he ask."

"But… but that's illegal!" Minerva gasped. Severus nodded.

"Lucius doesn't think in those terms. In his words, _There is no such thing as good or evil, legal or unlawful. There is only power and the few willing to reach for it_. If it get him more power without risking exposing him, he'll do it."

Minerva frowned.

"Any ideas as to what he is up to?"

Severus shook his head. "No, and that scares me. Lucius always thought big, far bigger than most people. He may have been Riddle's second-in-command, but he was actually the puppet master by the end. Whatever he's up to, he saw being the next Minister of Magic as not helping with it, which means that it is something… far less than legal. But as to what he is planning, I do not know. I may be Draco's godfather, but Lucius has always kept his secrets tight. I believe the muggles call it _need-to-know_ , and sadly, I could not persuade him that I needed to know."

For several moments, the only sounds were the muttering of the students and the occasional shout and cheers as the Sorting Hat placed another student.

.

"Finished catching up with your friends?" Lucius asked fondly as Narcissa entered the study. Rising, he captured her hand and kissed it. "Even though it was only a few hours, I missed you."

"Flatterer." Narcissa blushed, then she blinked and pushed up Lucius' left sleeve. "What's this?"

"That is something I need for a project I am working on." Lucius said as his wife lightly traced the runic symbols tattooed on his arm. "Once I manage to get all the pieces in play, it will help to finish rebuilding our society the way it should be. Once more, the mudbloods will know their place!"

"Really?" Narcissa laughed, then she looked into her husband's eyes. "You mean it? You're really going to put us Purebloods back at the top where we belong?!"

"I shall succeed where that overly-aggressive moron Riddle failed." Lucius purred. "And the wizarding idiots will support us because our figurehead took down the Dark Lord in front of independent witnesses, making him untouchable. With his reputation, we shall shape the wizarding world into perfect order, and _then_ we start on plans to take control of the muggles."

"Oh, Merlin!" Narcissa breathed heavily. "You make me so _horny_ when you talk like that! Now Draco's back at Hogwarts, I think we need to try again for another child! Take me now!"

Lucius' grin broadened as Narcissa's robe dropped onto the carpet.

.

* * *

.

"How do I look?"

Harry and Neville both turned as Luna walked in, nervously adjusting her Jedi robes. Beside her, clad in the school uniform, Ginny Weasley fiddled with the blank shield pinned to her blouse.

"I can't believe that they don't use robes." Ginny fretted as she paused to once again check her buttons were done up right. "I mean, I saw Ron, Fred, George and Percy dressed almost like muggles last year, but… learning magic without robes just feels… strange. Can I pretend to be a Jedi and wear robes?"

Harry managed not to laugh at Ginny's half-humorous pleading. "You can always wear a dress, you know, although you do look good in trousers."

Ginny froze, then glanced at Luna who smiled reassuringly at her.

"You look fine, Ginny." Luna said reassuringly, reaching out to cup the side of Ginny's face with her hand. "You'll do fine."

Ginny relaxed. "Thanks, I needed that. You're better than a calming draught any day."

Luna pretended to look upset. "So that's my future, a living medpack."

Both Ginny and Luna managed to keep straight faces for several seconds, then they both started to giggle.

"Where's Tonks?" Neville asked, looking round as Ron entered the room.

"Having an interview." Harry shrugged. "The American Secret Service are trying to recruit her. You have no idea how rare metamorphmagi are, less than one in five hundred wizards are even minor metamorphmagi, much less a full one like Tonks."

"I wonder where I'll be Sorted." Ginny mused. "If it was Hogwarts, it'd be Gryffindor, Weasleys have been gryffs for generations. I'll be the first Weasley to not be a gryff…"

"What matters is _who_ you are, not _where_ you are." Neville said, draping his arm reassuringly around the younger girl's shoulders. "You'll be fine. Trust me."

Ginny nodded and smiled up at the taller boy. "Thanks, Nev."

"Just think." Hermione mused. "At Hogwarts, they're finishing their Sorting now."

"What?" Ron exclaimed. "Why'd they get up so early? What changed?"

Ginny slapped her brother gently across the back of his head. "Different time zones, Ron."

"Oh." Ron said, looking embarrassed. "I knew that. Well, I guess we should be going soon. Let's hear it for the Doors."

"They've really revolutionized society." Hermione smiled. "Come on, Mrs Weasley's waiting."

.

"Damn, these Doors have really revolutionized things." Sirius as he floated by the window, staring out. "I can't believe that you and Remus managed to pull this off!"

"Disguising a Rune Door as a storage closet was the easy part." Remus grinned as he drifted across the compartment. "Managing to sneak an extra compartment into the fabric of the station without anyone realizing, _that_ was tricky. We had to use permanent expansion charms on the two adjacent units to hide the fact that _this_ one exists. Muggles are _far_ more observant than most wizarding-folk realize."

"Sirena has been doing some analysis with her team." Ahsoka said as she joined Sirius in contemplating the view of Earth through the viewport. "She says that it should be theoretically possible to create _programmable_ Rune Doors, doors which can connect to each other in a manner similar to muggle telephones. Of course, they would need to be larger to accommodate the runic arrays required, as well as the interface for the control systems. Sirena thinks that they can be made up to five meters across, enough for most vehicles, although the runic requirements mean that they'll be circular and mounted in cylindrical arrays rather than the rectangular ones used by the current Doors."

"Dial-up Doors?" Sirius said in disbelief. "Wow!"

"The range would be somewhat limited, though." Ahsoka added. "Sirena guesses that such a Door would have maybe half a light-second of range due to the synchronization requirements. Enough to get across the planet or into orbit, but nowhere near enough for reaching the moon."

"I read her report." Remus nodded. "She thinks that the standard Rune Doors themselves can reach maybe three light-seconds before the connection fails. More than enough to get to the moon. It'll help make establishing the WolfTech Moonbase next month a _lot_ easier."

"Which one's Sirena?" Sirius suddenly asked. "I think I owe her a kiss for coming up with the idea."

"She's one of the ones who accompanied us on the Hogwarts fiasco." Remus said as he drifted towards the Door. "Anyway, I'd love to stay and gawp at the Earth, but I have paperwork to do. See you back there."

Sirius nodded, then jolted as a thud and a yelp of pain echoed back through the Door. "Moony!"

Ahsoka facepalmed as Sirius hurled himself through the Door, causing another crash and _two_ yelps of pain. Propelling herself across, she made sure that she was correctly oriented before pushing herself through, gravity reasserting itself as she did so. Looking down at her two groaning friends, she managed not to laugh.

"I think that we need to put some warning lines to mark where gravity takes over, and possibly to point out which way is down." She commented, causing both men to nod in agreement.

"Marauder Moony seconds the motion." Remus groaned as he pushed Sirius off him.

"Marauder Padfoot thirds it. Ouch." Sirius mumbled, rubbing at his bruised shoulder.

.

"Is that who I think it is?"

Harry looked at Neville, then followed his gaze towards the staff table. A moment passed, then his eyebrows shot up to match Neville's.

"That's Albus Dumbledore! What's he doing here? I thought he'd retired!"

"We'll probably find out soon." Neville said slowly. "Hey, Luna's being Sorted!"

Both boys watched as the blond Jedi Padawan lightly stepped onto the crystal disc, then Harry grinned. "She's with us."

Luna seemed to drift across to them, returning Longfeather's bow with a curtsy and waving to Harry and Neville before taking her place at the inner table.

"By the way," Harry said quietly, "Your gran showed me your potions scores."

"I know." Neville replied. "Professor Tonks was a good teacher, but Robert Preston is a true genius, and a very helpful one. He taught me a new way to organize my worktop and it lets me do things right rather than messing things up because I lost track of what I was doing."

"Always useful." Harry agreed. "I can _do_ potions, but I just… lack the spark, for lack of a better phrase."

"Well, you can still follow the instructions, even if you can't create new potions." Neville shrugged. "Hey, it's Ginny."

Harry watched his red-headed friend step onto the crystal dais, then smiled as Longfeather's staff glowed. "Hey, she's with us as well!"

Neville grinned as Ginny took her place,then Headmaster King stood up.

"Welcome to a new year at Salem Academy. As always, all we ask from you is your best, as that is what we shall provide in turn. Before the welcoming feast commences, I would like to introduce our newest member, the former Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Scotland, Professor Emeritus Albus Dumbledore."

A wave of applause rolled through the hall as Albus smiled, his eyes twinkling.

"Albus is joining us in an advisory position. He has experience in most branches of magic and thus can cover almost any class if needed. In addition, he has been kind enough to make himself available to any student who needs help or advice. I now call upon Albus to say a few words."

Albus rose from his chair, inclining his head towards King in a manner reminiscent of a formal bow.

"I am honored to be here. For many years, I have overseen Hogwarts, but it caused me to grow more distant from those I was meant to help. Now, thanks to Headmaster King, I have a chance to return to what is truly important, helping those who are just starting out to reach their full potential without needing to worry about politics or diplomacy, merely aiding those seeking a brighter future. I hope that I can live up to your expectations and help you for when you lead the way into the future, strong and unafraid. If you wish my help, which I will be more than happy to provide upon request, I will usually be found in the library where I hope to finish my work on transcribing the original tales of the ancient writer, Beedle the Bard."

The wave of applause was almost deafening and Albus bowed his head again before sitting down.

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore." Headmaster King smiled. "Now, I believe that the House Elves have prepared another one of their wonderful repasts, so everyone, dig in!"

At his final words, the tables were filled with food.

"Harry," Ginny said, staring at the plate in front of her. "What's this?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "That's pizza."

"Pizza?" Ginny said, carefully picking up a slice and looking at it. "Has someone already eaten this?"

"It's just the way they chop the food." Harry quickly explained and Ginny took a tentative nibble.

"Wow! This is good!"

"It's the favorite food of giant turtles." Luna added, and looked round to see her friends looking at her with a variety of expressions, all of which contained some sort of confusion. "What? There was a film about them and a giant rat on the teevee last night."

The stares continued.

"What?" ****

.

* * *

_._

Lucius appeared on the hillside and tucked his Portkey into his robes. Striding forwards, he looked around and nodded at the leader of the team waiting for him.

"Good morning."

" _Good morning, Lord Malfoy._ "

The cloaked figure fell in beside Malfoy as he walked towards the large pile of granite boulders merely two-hundred meters from the edge of the ancient stone circle.

"Are you certain that your team can do this?"

" _Yes, Lord Malfoy. With the proximity of the original, it is only a matter of using transfiguration to duplicate Stonehenge, then applying the wards to make everyone think that the copy is the original. Once that is achieved, we can begin tapping into the ley-lines to power the spell._ "

Lucius nodded. "Excellent. Have you got the plans yet?"

" _On the table over there, my Lord. Do you wish to see them?_ "

Lucius walked over to the muggle-sourced folding table and stared at the plans displayed on it, his eyes flicking from one part to another.

"Finding crystals of that size will be expensive."

" _We have already located a source for them._ "

"And can we use transfigured rock to save money?"

The cloaked figure shook its head. " _No, my lord. The amount of magic involved would cause any transfigurations to revert in a random manner, probably destabilizing the structure in an explosive fashion._ "

"Damn." Lucius muttered. "This will take over half of my fortune. But it will be worth it."

" _Yes, my Lord._ "

Lucius nodded, then glanced round at the muggle crowds going past, none of them realizing that his people were there or how much their lives were going to change as a result of his actions.

"All right. Start setting up the decoy Stonehenge, I want it exact down to the patterns of moss and scratched graffiti. Take a feed from one of the secondary ley-lines to maintain it. As for the Tower, can we build it more securely? This is barely a crystal lattice framework over stone pillars, we should at least stone-clad it."

" _If we do, the Field will only cover half the continent rather than the world._ " Came the reply. " _The structure is designed to maximize the power and coverage with a slight percentage left for fine-tuning. Applying cladding will seriously degrade the effect._ "

"Damn." Cursed Lucius. "I just hate the way that this thing is so exposed."

" _We are working on special shields to protect it. The area will be rendered Unplottable with both muggle and wizard-repelling wards in place, in addition to the Field itself. Only those with the Runic Arrays will be able to get near it._ "

Lucius nodded slowly. "Less vulnerable than I thought… very well. You may begin."

" _Yes, my Lord._ "

.

* * *

.

"Father."

"Draco." Lucius replied as his son sat down at the dining room table. "How was your first week of school?"

"Much better now that Potter isn't there." Draco said, nodding to his mother as she sat beside Lucius. "Without Scarhead and his allies there to move against me, I am once again regaining control over Slytherin House, although I am having to use more… subtle methods since I am now under the gaze of the portrait of Salazar Slytherin.."

"Excellent." Lucius purred as the first course of their dinner appeared.

"Father," Draco said after a few mouthfuls of soup. "What happened to the Jedi anyway? Have they been executed?"

"They fled to America." Lucius replied, ignoring his son's snort. "And they are creating a new powerbase which I am trying to counter. A powerbase that uses muggles."

"As if muggles could ever be a threat to us wizards." Draco sneered and Lucius fired a stinging hex at him. "Ow! What was that for?"

"The muggles outnumber us _thousands_ to one, Draco." Lucius said coldly. "They have weapons that can destroy any ward, blast through any shield. Even the strongest wizard couldn't kill more than a few hundred before succumbing to exhaustion, they could quite literally destroy us if we cause them to recognize us as a threat."

Draco swallowed nervously and his eyes glanced across to his mother.

"Your father is right, Draco." Narcissa said. "I talked to Andy a few days ago, she and her husband are moving to America, and the muggles now have vehicles that fly like broomsticks. Bigger and less agile, but they can fly even if the user has no magic of his own. There's even a rumor that Lord Black's werewolves have been given muggle guns that fire spells."

"I… hadn't heard that one." Lucius admitted.

"That… that _can't_ be true!" Draco burst out. "I mean… they're _muggles_! They can't _use_ magic! There's _no_ _way_ they could do anything like that without magic!"

Lucius glared at Draco. "I see that I need to increase your lessons in tactics and strategy. You should _never_ allow your emotions to cloud your estimation of the enemy. I thought you had learned that when Potter took you and your three friends down in a matter of moments."

Draco cringed slightly.

"Just because _you_ cannot see how it is possible, doesn't mean that it is _impossible_ ," Narcissa added. "Never underestimate the cunning of muggles. I knew at least a dozen witches and wizards who died because they underestimated muggles. You don't remember Alphonse De'Athe, but I do. He was killed by a muggle housewife who threw a toasting fork into his groin and then smashed him over the head with a cast-iron pan. He was second only to Riddle in pure magical power, yet he died at the hands of someone who didn't even know that magic existed."

"I'd almost forgotten about Alphonse." Lucius mused, his gaze unfocused. "Rather intense, but if he was on your side, you knew that he would never betray you. I believe that he was a Gryffindor."

"A gryff." Draco sneered, only to be transfixed by his father's glare.

"He could very easily have been a snake, except that his bravery was slightly greater than his cunning." Lucius growled. "Do _not_ make the mistake of thinking about your enemies as simple labels, it will just get you killed."

"It would be a shame for your sister to grow up not knowing her brother." Narcissa added and Lucius spun to face her.

"Really?"

"Really." Narcissa smiled back.

Draco grimaced and looked away as his parents embraced and kissed. Suddenly, his appetite had abandoned him.

.

"Larties and Atties." Lucius mused to himself, moving pieces of paper across his desk. "Although nowhere as elegant as the Rune Doors, they could prove problematic if things don't go as planned. Maybe I could claim a Larty for myself as a travelling office."

" _Do you wish for me to return later, my Lord?_ "

Lucius blinked and looked up at the cloaked figure standing in the doorway to his study.

"No, please, be seated. How is the project going?"

" _The duplicate Stonehenge has been finished and the wards activated. We have monitored muggle communications, but there is no sign that anyone has noticed anything wrong._ "

"Excellent." Lucius purred as he placed the sheets back in their folders. "How long before construction starts?"

" _We will have the first batch of materials in place within the next two days, my Lord._ "

"Again, excellent." Lucius said. "All is going as I have foreseen."

.

_A robed figure seated in a throne-like chair looked out of a viewport across a planetwide city, his face reflecting his confusion._

" _Why do I feel as if someone is stealing from one of my previous conversations?"_

" _My Master?"_

" _It is not important, my Apprentice. How goes the preparations for the subjugation of the Dresselian system?"_

_._

"Do you have anything else to report?"

" _Only that WolfTech has started construction of its much-publicized Moonbase. They've deployed the first pressurized dome already and two starships are transporting more building material to expand it._ "

Lucius shrugged. "Well, I don't see how that could affect us. It was proven over a century ago that no magical transportation can reach that far. There might be a few outside the range of the Imperius Field, but they'll need to return for supplies at some point, or we can simply cut them off from resupply and let them wither on the vine, as it were."

" _As you say, my lord._ "

.

* * *

.

"What a view."

Ahsoka wrapped her arm around her son's shoulders as they looked out of the rune-reinforced dome.

"So, what do you think of my plan?"

"Which one? Setting up the Jedi Temple on the moon?" Harry asked, looking up at his mother for confirmation. "I think that it'll be great, especially now that you've got the grav-plates introduced."

"And the first of the lunar reactors online and powering the wards." Ahsoka smiled. "The third dome is due to be assembled next week, then we start expanding into the caverns."

Harry grinned, then gave Ahsoka a curious look. "What is it?"

"It's just… Luna had a vision. The third dome may have to become a hangar dome if we can't fit a hangar into the Temple Dome. For some reason, we need starfighters. Fortunately, I had to help Skyguy rebuild several starfighters, so I supplied Wolftech with plans for a Delta-6 starfighter. Anakin got me one as a parting present since it didn't need an astromech and I had the maintenance manual on my datapad when I… _left_ Coruscant. Hopefully we'll have the first batch by the end of the month, thank the Force for WolfTech's experience building Larties from sketches and a verbal description. With the schematics, they'll be able to do it a _lot_ faster."

"New craft." Harry grinned. "Cool! Do I get one?"

Ahsoka shrugged, hiding her smile. "We'll see."

"Please, mum? Pretty please? Pretty please with whipped cream and a cherry on top?"

"I said that we'll see." Ahsoka replied as sternly as she could, then they both started to laugh.

.

* * *

.

" _My Lord, you honor us with your presence._ "

Lucius nodded as he watched a large, crystalline pillar being slowly raised into position. Engraved runes sparkled along its length, making the hollow gaps of the connection sockets somehow more obvious.

"I see that you are making progress."

" _Yes, that is the second of the three main conduits. The seven secondary conduits and thirteen tertiary are still being constructed._ "

Lucius nodded. "And will it be ready on schedule?"

" _If all goes optimally, we should be able to finish the activation rituals on All Hallows Eve._ "

"Appropriate." Lucius smirked. "That was, after all, the day that Riddle's plans collapsed and cleared the way for mine."

" _As you say, my Lord._ "

.

* * *

.

The school grounds echoed with cheers and hollers that drowned out the clashing of the lightsabers as Harry Potter-Tano and Abraham Black dueled, their faces set with determination but enjoyment glittering in their eyes as they swung their blades in a complex dance of pure combat. To one side, the three Heads of Houses, the Headmaster, the deputy Headmistress, Albus Dumbledore and Ahsoka Tano stood watching.

"Your son has improved." Longfeather said with a slight smile. "That feint almost managed to let him get a solid strike in."

"Abraham's a genius at dueling." Ahsoka commented as her son was forced onto the defensive. "He's not a wizard, but with his abilities, it doesn't really matter."

"He could probably have defeated me in my prime if I had met him without knowing his abilities." Albus smiled, causing several of the others to give him shocked looks. "I was overly arrogant when I was young, he would have cured me of that. Of course, the second time, I would undoubtedly have won."

"Area effect spells." Sandra McGonagall realized. "Any Jedi who is not a wizard would be vulnerable to those. Whoah!"

Harry's blade spun into the air and Harry froze as Abraham's blade came to rest under his chin.

"Alright. You win."

Abraham grinned as he deactivated his lightsaber, then he turned and bowed to the cheering crowd. To Harry's amusement, a group of girls (and a couple of boys) were grouped together waving banners with Abraham's name on them, as well as a quickly-produced wizarding photo banner showing Abraham doing his warmups before the duel.

"I think you have a fan club." He whispered as he _pulled_ his lightsaber back into his hand and Abraham facepalmed.

"Just what I needed."

"Hey, you used to laugh at _my_ unwanted fanclub. Turnabout is fair play."

Abraham glared at him as they walked off the stage, clearing the way for Luna and Hermione.

.

* * *

.

" _My Lord._ "

Lucius looked up in surprise. "Yes?"

" _A new breakthrough has been made, we have managed to partially copy the shield used at the Potter Manor. By turning it into a hemisphere, we can supply it with energy from external sources, although the change renders it vulnerable to tunneling._ "

Lucius' eyes widened. "How soon before you can apply the shields to my Manor and the Malfoy Concourse?"

" _A team can be assembled by the end of the week, my Lord._ "

"Do it!" Lucius snapped.

" _By your command._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that was Palpatine. For all you Star Wars fans, the conversation means that I've just established that 1992 is 10 BBY (Before Yavin).  
> And no, ol' Palpy won't be playing a further role in this story, I included that sub-scene because it amused me to do an interstellar reaction shot.
> 
> Another no, we won't be having X-wings etc, they didn't exist when Ahsoka was teleported, so she has no way of knowing about them.  
> Because she served under Skywalker, however, she knows almost all of the Clone Army's tech.


	23. Sights

"Welcome to Houston, Lord Black." The employee said, bowing slightly to Sirius and the people with him. "We are honored to have you here today. I am your assigned guide, Wilfred Walker."

Sirius nodded as he finished stepping down from his custom Larty, Remus taking his place to his right, Z-6 slung over his armoured shoulders. Walker gave him a cocked-eyebrow glance.

"Sorry, I think Remus _married_ his rotary while I wasn't looking." Sirius joked, causing Remus to dope-slap him. "What?"

Remus sighed. "I'm your official bodyguard, remember? _This_ Z-6 is modified with charged bolts that act like low-powered tasers. Means I can knock out a crowd if they decide to go wild. It's also as intimidating as hell if I want it to be."

Sirius snorted, then turned his attention back to his guide.

"Sorry, my friend can be rather overzealous at times." He shrugged, neglecting to mention that Remus was carrying one of the _magical_ Z-6's, one he'd personally modified for greater ammunition capacity amongst other things. "So, when are we going to see the station start to spin?"

"The rotation will begin in about an hour, sir. If you'll follow me to the private gallery? I'm afraid it's a bit of a walk."

"No problems." Sirius laughed as his Larty lifted off behind them, banking as it headed towards the vehicle parking lot. "So, how's your moonbase project coming?"

"Nowhere near as fast as WolfTech's." Wilfred laughed self-deprecatingly. "Then again we've got bureaucratic oversight to deal with whereas you lot just go ahead and do it. Four domes now, isn't it?"

"And expanding into the cave system we discovered." Remus said. "We've placed our primary reactor deep underground. Sorting out the cooling issues was a bit tricky, but we got the pipes sorted eventually."

Sirius nodded. They'd shuttled a Rune Door up to the Moon and used it instead of going through all the trouble of digging a tunnel up through the lunar rock. The same Door carried the power cables, allowing them to place the runic wheel unit inside the primary dome, ensuring a constant flow of fresh magic.

Of course, that was a truth known only to those who knew about magic _and_ were trusted by Sirius and his friends.

"We've only got one of our domes up." Wilfred shrugged. "By the way, my bosses say thanks for the extra life-support equipment your people provided from your domes. It would have been a lot harder to recover from that algae die-off if your people hadn't helped to buy us more time."

Sirius grinned. "Anything to help our adoptive nation."

"I keep forgetting you're a brit." Wilfred said sheepishly as he entered a combination on the number pad beside the door. A beep sounded and the door opened. "Houston Control welcomes the WolfTech party of two. This way, please."

As they walked down the corridor, Sirius suddenly slapped his head.

"Walker! Any relation to Lucy of the Themyscerans?"

"My daughter." Wilfred said proudly. "She and her team were talking about going on the pro circuit next year, now that several companies have cracked the production problem with the Stingers."

"Let's hear it for the joys of mass-production and human ingenuity." Sirius agreed. "The Wolfalorians are using the taser version, _that_ 's proprietary technology, I'm afraid."

"The military love it." Wilfred grinned. "I hear they're trying to get it powered up to combat-level."

"Theoretically possible to do, but _loads_ of fiddly bits involved. I'll drop them the updated plans later in exchange for the standard agreements." Remus said, glancing round as they stepped through another door into a viewing chamber overlooking a large control room. Remus looked out of the window appreciatively.

"Nice setup." He noted. "I especially like the giant screens on the walls, Siri, think we could do something like this for the Wolfalorians? It'll really help to boost our strategic flexibility."

"I'll think about it." Sirius replied with a slight smirk. "So, is there anything to drink? I could murder a cuppa."

Wilfred looked at him in incomprehension.

"Tea." Sirius said with a sigh. "A good cup of english-style tea, not just the colored hot water that many Americans think that tea is."

"Sirius is underwhelmed by American tea." Remus said with a grin as he unhooked a small thermos from the base of his backpack. "Your tea, my lord."

Wilfred smiled, then pulled a small device from his belt and looked at it.

"I'm afraid I have other tasks, I will send someone with more refreshments."

Sirius nodded as Remus poured out a cup of tea and Wilfred vanished through the door.

Sirius covertly palmed his wand and cast a few spells.

"We're safe from eavesdropping for now." He said. "So, while we're waiting, you can finish your report on moving the Concourse."

"We have a WolfTech spacecraft modified ready as well as several Goblin teams on standby." Remus said. "The modular nature of the portacabins really helps, the Goblins say that they can get everything packed within ten minutes assuming that they've got it ready beforehand. And since it usually takes the Ministry at least _fifteen_ minutes to respond to unexpected events…"

"Like an unbreakable shield dropping." Sirius nodded. "We have the domes set up?"

"Indeed." Remus grinned. "Although I think that Harry and Ahsoka will be… somewhat surprised by what you plan to do."

Sirius shrugged. "The shields were always meant as a stopgap measure for Potter Manor. Since we proved they could also be used to safely hold things as we move them, such as we did with Black Manor last night, I don't see any problems."

.

Lucius stared at the person sat on the other side of the desk.

"What did you say?"

"It's Black Manor, my Lord." The scarred man repeated with a shrug. "I was nearby when the shield faded, but when I got there, the Manor was just _gone_!"

Lucius blinked. " _Fidelius_?"

"No, milord." The man said, looking worried. "There was just a great big hole where Black Manor _was_. I flew right into it on my broomstick to make sure and I was right, there's _nothing_ there any more! No ground, nothing! Just a huge crater a half-mile across and a quarter-mile deep, with edges as smooth as glass!"

Lucius blinked. Just what had Black and his associates managed to do now?

And how would it affect his plans?

.

"I still think that moving your entire manor and half its grounds onto the Moon and placing it under a dome is a bit extreme, even for you." Remus chortled.

"I had wanted to do the same to the village, but you evacuated it before I got the chance to even think about doing it." Sirius mock-mourned. "So, how many of the others do you think will want to move to a dome?"

"Xeno will, without a doubt." Remus said without a pause. "Of course, persuading him that walking _on_ the surface of the moon without protective spells or a spacesuit could be… problematic. Molly will probably want to as well, she's admitted to me that she's a bit worried about what would happen if the shield around the Burrow fails."

Sirius nodded, then his gaze snapped to the view through the window. "Hey, they've got the station on the main screen! It kinda looks like a can made from a spiderweb."

Remus managed not to laugh at the description. On the giant wall-screen in the control room, the image of the space station showed that for most of it, only the basic structural framework was in place. At one end of the cylinder, though, the framework was partially covered by interlinked habitation modules stacked between two to five deep, forming the outer shell of the station. Lines of habitations modules and connection corridors formed six tentacles extending down the framework with larger units showing where more corridors were to be attached to form rings.

"Once they get it spinning, it'll be both harder and easier to attach the units." Remus said as the screen seemed to split with several more views appearing in their own sections. "As you can see, they've started preparing anchor points for the inner surface for when they cap the other end and can pressurize the whole thing."

"It'll be odd looking up and seeing people looking back up at you." Sirius said after a moment's thought. "It'll really weird people out."

Remus nodded. "Due to the spin rate, the station will be at quarter gravity unless we install grav-plates, and that'll really increase the energy requirement to beyond what the station is designed to have."

Sirius nodded, then frowned in thought. "We could always run some power cables through the Rune Door…

"No!" Remus interrupted and Sirius looked at him in surprise. "No, we can't have them wondering why they suddenly have more power than they are producing. It might cause them to suspect something…"

Sirius sighed and nodded reluctantly. "Sorry, it just feels _wrong_ to not be helping."

"That's because you're a good man," Remus said soothingly, "But sometimes the best thing to do is nothing."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it." Sirius grumped.

.

" _ATTENTION ALL PERSONNEL, ROTATION WILL COMMENCE IN FIVE MINUTES. SECURE ALL LOOSE OBJECTS AND PREPARE FOR PSEUDOGRAVITY._ "

Ahsoka smiled at her two companions in the compartment. Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel returned the smiles as they floated to where a series of handles had been fixed to the wall. Each one grabbed a handle, then they carefully oriented themselves with the outer hull.

"I must say, this is a _very_ interesting experience." Nicolas admitted. "In all my centuries, I have _never_ been present when a place gained gravity. I suspect that this'll put me in good stead when we finally go to the stars."

"I feel so light-headed at the prospect." Perenelle joked, earning a pained look from her husband. "I wonder if Siri is watching?"

"He said he had been invited to view it from the control room at mission control." Ahsoka shrugged, the motion briefly sending her away from the designated floor-side before she corrected her inadvertent drift.

.

Sirius glanced round. Over two dozen others had joined him in the observation gallery, only Remus' intimidating stance (admittedly aided by his Z-6 rotary) had prevented Sirius from getting crushed into a corner. By his side (and taking full advantage of Remus' looming) stood Lucy Walker clad in the gold-embroidered white silk _Gi_ that had become the de-facto non-combat uniform of the professional stinger-fighter Themyscerans. Sirius hid a grin at her presence. Although a group of Wolfalorians had become the _official_ WolfTech-sponsored team, the Themyscerans used WolfTech products exclusively. Since their team acted as unofficial sponsors to all intents and purposes, Sirius had arranged for them to get their equipment at cost, a fact which Lucy had quickly capitalized on.

"So, looking forwards to us kicking the tails of your little wolf cubs at next weeks match?"

From behind them, Remus grinned. He knew that Lucy remained ignorant of magic and werewolves or Lycans and as such, her comments often contained additional, unexpected humor.

"Oh, I think they'll put up quite a fight this time." Sirius volleyed back. "After all, they've won just as many of their matches as your little girls have."

"And afterwards, they'll have won _one_ match _less_ than us." Lucy grinned back. Sirius exhaled with a grin.

"Sassy, opinionated, energetic, intelligent and all wrapped up in a beautiful bundle, all I could ever hope for in a woman, where have you _been_ all my life?"

"Probably not born for the first five decades." Lucy immediately snarked and Remus turned a chuckle into a frantic coughing fit at Sirius' woebegone expression. Before he could respond, the loudspeaker burst into life again.

" _THIRTY SECONDS TO PRIMARY ROTATION MANEUVER._ "

Sirius turned his attention to the main screen where the station was hanging against the backdrop of stars.

" _All thruster units confirmed on standby, computer systems tracking, weights in position to correct any rotational imbalances._ "

"This could be interesting." Sirius said.

" _TWENTY SECONDS TO PRIMARY ROTATION MANEUVER._ "

The crowd seemed to tense, the whispered comments fading away.

" _TEN SECONDS TO PRIMARY ROTATION MANEUVER._ "

" _FIVE. FOUR. THREE. TWO. ONE. ZERO! WE HAVE IGNITION!_ "

In the screen, the external thruster packs ignited, their precisely-calculated thrust apparently failing to affect the station, and then the entire structure seemed to shift slightly as it started to turn.

" _ROTATION HAS COMMENCED!"_ The loudspeaker announced and the room erupted in cheers.

.

The first warning that they had was a slight shudder that ran through the frame of the station, then the wall seemed to start pressing against them. Looking down, Perenelle gasped as the starscape visible through the charmed floor (copied from the Great Hall ceiling of Hogwarts) started to move slightly.

"Wow." Nicolas breathed almost reverently. "This is… this is history in the making!"

"It's just a shame that there are so few people on the station." Perenelle sighed. "I'd _love_ to walk the hallways and corridors of this station, but until there are enough people here to hide amongst, the risk is too great."

"For some of us more than others." Ahsoka whispered sadly, but Nicolas overheard and nodded, his joy briefly eclipsed.

"Sorry." Ahsoka said with a sad smile. "I didn't mean to ruin this for you."

"It's alright." Nicolas replied. "Just remember, you still have plenty of friends and a pair of islands where you don't need to worry about hiding. In fact, you've never visited _our_ island, have you?"

Ahsoka shook her head and Perenelle smiled.

"Then once we have full rotation, you should visit. We have a lovely island off the coast of Ireland, warded and shielded with everything short of the buckminstershield. We have a huge library."

"Then expect Hermione to ask for an invite once she finds out." Ahsoka smiled and Nicolas laughed.

.

" _We have full rotation!_ " The loudspeaker announced as the thrusters ceased firing their plumes of superheated gas. Sirius joined in the cheer that caused the glass to shake in its frame.

" _Onboard gravity currently at zero point two five gravities._ " Continued the voice.

"And when the inner station is complete, we can start building outwards, eventually creating a station with the final outer part being a full gravity." Wilfred Walker said, causing Sirius and Remus to jolt in shock.

"Where the _hell_ did you come from?" Sirius gasped and Lucy laughed.

"Where do you think I got _my_ stealth skills from? Dad taught me."

Sirius nodded slowly. "Makes sense, in your matches, you really are sneaky as hell."

"Still don't know why I can't creep up on the Wolfalorians." Lucy sniffed. "I sometimes think that they've got super-senses or something."

Sirius and Remus exchanged surprised glances. ****

.

* * *

.

"Founder Salazar." Draco said formally as he approached the portrait hanging in the Slytherin common room.

"Scion Malfoy." Salazar returned. "I assume that you desire my advice again."

"I do." Draco said, taking one of the empty seats arrayed before the portrait. "With all the talks we've had, I have reached the conclusion that I do not have a reputation of my own, as I thought I once had. I live in my father's shadow."

"As my son lived in mine." Salazar reminisced, then his gaze sharpened. "And if I think you are going to follow _his_ path, I will ensure that everyone knows to stop you."

Draco nodded. Like the rest of Slytherin House, he had heard from the portrait the tales of Salazar's son, who was named after his father, and how he had betrayed and murdered the original Salazar before fleeing.

"I seek to make a name for myself, but not at the expense of my family." Draco managed, earning an approving look from Salazar.

"Excellent. Family is important and should be protected, as should friends. That is why Riddle lost, he failed to realize that by helping others, you place them in a far better position to aid you in achieving what you wish to do."

Draco closed his eyes in thought for a bit, then he nodded slowly.

"But what if you don't need their help?"

"Eventually, you will." Salazar shrugged. "If you help them, they will owe you and then when you _do_ need their help, they shall be there to provide it. It is how Godric and I worked, after all."

"I thought that he just rushed in screaming about honor and bravery." Draco snarked and Salazar's mouth twitched into a slight smile.

"That was only the once. Rowena… _reasoned_ with him about it and from that day forth, he actually stopped to think before doing anything stupid. It didn't stop him from being a dunderhead, but at least he didn't constantly go in quite as… enthusiastically."

Draco snorted at that, then glanced round as a bandage-wrapped figure lurched past. Salazar raised an eyebrow.

"And that was…?"

"Theodore Nott." Draco sighed. "He refuses to learn. This morning, he tried to scare a first-year with a slicing hex…"

"And it rebounded on him." Salazar finished with a slight smirk. "The wards of Hogwarts _have_ been fully restored."

Draco nodded. He had refused to test the announcement that all attempts to use magic outside the classroom would be instantly punished, but several of his house-mates had been far less cautious. One of them had even been taken to St Mungos in the hopes that they could rebuild his face from the curse he had tried to use to prevent the person testifying against him when his thieving habits had been discovered.

The lesson had not been lost on anyone.

Well, most people, anyway.

For several minutes, the boy and the portrait remained quiet, then Draco looked up.

"Lord Slytherin, is blood purity important?"

Salazar blinked, then frowned as he considered the question. "I would say the answer to that is both yes and no. Being raised in a magical family provides advantages. You know about magic, you learn its limits while young and if your family is even halfway competent, you gain access to the research of your ancestors, allowing you to build upon it. But if you mean are those born of magical parents _intrinsically_ superior to those born of muggles, I would say no. Helga would kill me if I denigrated her with any other claim."

Draco nodded slowly.

"I think I see. All my life, I was raised believing that purebloods were superior to those without magical ancestry. Trying to think differently is…"

"Difficult." Salazar agreed. "Overcoming the beliefs instilled into you by your parents in order to see the world as it actually is, that is one of the most challenging things you can ever do. Many do not bother, but to be fair, many of those have no need."

Draco steepled his fingers and frowned.

"I… think I see."

"You are of my House." Salazar smirked. "Slytherins are ambitious and cunning, and should never let their preconceptions overwhelm their view of reality..."

"…which is something many forgot over the centuries." Draco finished and Salazar grinned.

"I see I am starting to get predictable. Go, you little scamp. Get some sleep. You need it to stay healthy, and if you do not have your health, you don't have anything."

Draco pulled himself upright and bowed to the portrait.

"Thank you for the enlightening conversation, Lord Slytherin, I bid you good evening."

.

"Most of our House are inbred cretins."

Severus Snape nodded in response to Salazar's growled comment as he sat down in the most comfortable chair, his robes billowing dramatically as he did so. Salazar merely smirked in appreciation of the dramatic effect.

"Indeed, since your portrait vanished three centuries ago, your House has gone inexorably towards the Dark."

"Minions, half of them are idiotic _minions_." Salazar exclaimed. "Like those two gorillas that follow Draco around. At least _he_ has potential."

Severus lifted an eyebrow. "When did _you_ come across gorillas? Three centuries ago, there were none outside Africa."

"Potion ingredient hunting in my youth." Salazar shrugged. "I mistook them for the natives for a while, I was young back then."

Severus nodded. "I see. Back to what you were saying, I agree. Quite a few of my House are dunderheads. I suspect inbreeding."

Salazar snorted. "I agree."

"And yet Lord Malfoy has placed an odd variation of the Pureblood philosophy into law." Severus continued. "It ranks even the Purebloods, but if you gain enough of an education or gain certain awards, it raises your effective rank."

"Promotion through education?" Salazar queried. "That is an… interesting concept."

Severus nodded, steepling his fingers and looking over them at the portrait.

"Many of my house were quite surprised to discover that you had no hidden knowledge to bestow upon us."

Salazar smirked. "Then they are dunderheads. We provided the foundation that the following generations built upon. It has only been in the last few hundred years that the rate of progress has slowed."

Severus nodded. "I see. I admit that in my youth, I also fell into the trap of thinking that the current world was but a pale reflection of the world you lived in."

"Give me a break." Salazar moaned. "Back then, we were trying to work out the basic rules of magic, drawing together information and concepts from a hundred different magical traditions. There were over sixty different ways of creating light, for Merlin's sake! _Lumos_ itself just happened to be the best balance between power needed, light provided and ease of use. The fact that it blocked the _Aveda Kadavera_ was just a happy little accidental bonus. The expression on Abraxus the Immortal's face when his favorite spell was countered by a first-year student… priceless."

"Abraxus the Immortal?" Severus repeated. "I've never heard of him."

"Of course not." Salazar huffed. "He was an arrogant, unwashed thug whose only real skill was the killing curse. Godric lopped his head off. We ended up simply leaving his body in the Mage Forest for the animals to eat."

"The Mage Fores… You mean the forest around Hogwarts?"

Salazar nodded. "Why, has the name changed?"

"It is called the Forbidden Forest now." Severus explained. "It contains Centaurs, Unicorns, Acromantulas and other beings."

"Acromantulas?" Salazar hissed. "Whoever thought that they would be useful as guardians for Hogwarts needs their heads examined!"

"Guardians?" Severus asked. "What do you mean?"

Salazar face-palmed. "In Merlin's name, how much history has been lost these past three centuries?"

.

* * *

.

Lucius kissed his wife and watched as she left through the Rune Door. Once the door closed behind her, he cast a small charm to alert him of her return, then strode quickly through the mansion until he reached the dining room. Twitching his wand, he cast a series of spells that rolled the carpet up and deactivated a number of powerful and lethal defense wards before opening the trapdoor set into the floor and descending the steps into the hidden basement that even his wife didn't know existed. Reaching the first room, he paused, his gaze coming to rest on a large black hooded robe on a hook and a skull-like mask on the shelf net to it. After a moment, he walked over and picked up the mask, staring into its empty eye-sockets, before putting it back.

"I think I'll keep you," He said softly, "As a reminder that some leaders should _never_ be followed."

The mask remained motionless and Lucius turned and strode out of the room, following the hidden passage downwards until he emerged into a new room the size of the Great Hall of Hogwarts, but lined with several levels of empty cells on each side, barred cells with a single unpadded stone bed and metal staples in the walls from which chains descended. Looking round, he sighed.

"I never really got to use this room and if my plan works, I'll have no real need to use it again." He murmured to himself. "Maybe I should find another use for this space. Storage maybe. After all the time I spent arranging for this to be built, it seems a pity that it only had five occupants… and three of them were muggles…"

Another moment passed and then Lucius shrugged to himself before leaving the room and walking down a third corridor, finally emerging into a room with rune-engraved stalagmites surrounding a pool. Walking to one stalagmite that had had the top removed, he placed his hands in the two depressions of the surface and channeled his magic into it, causing the pool to glow.

"Show me the one known as the _Boy-who-lived_. Show me Harry Potter."

The pool glowed for a moment, but no picture formed, causing Lucius to raise one eyebrow.

"Odd. Show me… Severus Snape."

The pool's surface wavered and an image formed.

.

"Congratulations, mister Alfonse." Severus said, waving his wand above the cauldron. "Ten points to Hufflepuff for a perfect Dreamless Sleep potion."

The sixth-year Hufflepuff grinned briefly as he continued to decant the potion into glass vials. Several of the other students gave them odd looks, but Severus ignored them as he strode back to his desk, turning to face the students.

"Your homework for tonight is simple. Choose one ingredient and one ingredient _only_ from the potion you made today and write a minimum of fourteen inches about its properties, how it is harvested and at least three other potions that use it. As always, marks will be deducted for poor spelling, grammar or handwriting. Once you have finished tidying up your workspaces, you are dismissed."

.

Lucius ceased the flow of magic and the image faded.

"Even the Hogwarts Wards cannot stop this scrying pool, so why can it not show me Potter? Show me… my wife."

The pool started to glow and within seconds a new image formed, showing Narcissa taking a seat and accepting a bone-china cup of tea. Lucius let the image fade, then turned and strode from the cavern, a frown on his face.

"Why can the Pool not show me Potter? Even a _Fidelius_ cannot stop it from working, although it does blur the image. As long as Potter is alive anywhere on Earth, the Pool can… as long as Potter is alive… ha. Hahaha. Mwahahahaha!"

Lucius' laughter echoed through the hidden corridor as he strode back to the stairs leading up to his mansion.

.

* * *

.

Draco sat down in front of the portrait and steepled his fingers.

"You seem… concerned about something."

Draco nodded. "It's my father. He's up to something, and I don't know what, except that it's big. I managed to catch a glimpse of the last vault audit and he's spent over half of our family fortune. Half!"

"Given how rich the Malfoy family apparently is, that is indeed concerning." Salazar frowned. "Any idea what he is doing with all of that money?"

Draco shook his head. "None at all. And that _really_ worries me. Usually, I can get him boasting about his plans, but he's totally clammed up on this one. But he keeps smirking about it."

Salazar nodded slowly. "That is indeed worrying. Have you tried all avenues of investigation?"

"Even Dobby refuses to speak about it." Draco sighed. "Father ordered him to remain silent about it. Dobby may be half-mad because of how we used to treat him, but when he's given an order, he obeys it."

"I shall remain alert in case anyone else knows anything about the plan your Father has, but I am only a portrait." Salazar said regretfully and Draco inclined his head in a manner reminiscent of a formal bow.

"Thank you, Lord Slyther… what?"

"Hey!" Lucius Bole shouted as he dashed into the common room with something in his hands. "Check this out! Albus Dumbledore has authored a book that hit the shops this morning, it's the annotated original tales of Beedle the Bard!"

Draco and Salazar stared at him.

"You've gotten this excited over… _children's tales_?" Draco finally managed to ask.


	24. Arrival

"All right." Ahsoka said, looking round in amazement. "How in the name of the Sith did you manage to get this built so fast?"

"Wolftech has been stockpiling prefabricated building sections for the past year." Arthur shrugged, glancing up at the distant ceiling of the transparent mile-wide dome, a ceiling partially supported by the eight towers that rose to meet it, and passed through. "Building a sphere this size was admittedly a bit of a challenge, but given the moon's low gravity, it was one that we…"

"Wait." Ahsoka said, staring at the redhead. "Sphere?"

"We have a full fusion plant and hydrogen reservoir tanks buried in the lower third of the sphere." Arthur shrugged. "Above that, basic life-support systems and gravity generators, leaving the upper half as you see now. We debated installing multiple magic generators, but remembered that too much magic can damage a child's chances of becoming a Jedi, so we only put in a single small, _shielded_ one to run the protection systems and the Rune Doors. The magic for those goes through special conduits designed to prevent magical leakage."

Ahsoka turned her gaze back to her surroundings. The eight towers that penetrated the dome supported a large circular platform just below the apex of the dome. Incomplete buildings stretched from the towers themselves to the edge of the dome, meaning that from above, the open area would appear to be an eight-spoked roundel with a circular center. Empty planters and as-yet unfilled ponds and fountains marked out several areas in the spokes while the central circle boasted paving in cream and red, creating the symbol of the Jedi Order with its starburst perfectly centered.

Between the wedge-shaped buildings, all but two of which were barely more than foundations and framework tracing the first half-dozen levels or so, apparently-delicate bridges arced across at various levels, none of them below the fourth story.

"The upper levels of the towers contain shield projectors, sensors, communication devices and enclosed observation decks." Arthur said, stepping forwards, Ahsoka following. "They are in earth-normal gravity for most of their height, but the portions above the domes are lunar gravity. We have two vehicle bays for lunar buggies and so on with both magnetic containment fields and sliding blast doors that drop if containment is breached. The same goes for the two docking bays which are located in those two buildings, each one is effectively devoted to their internal docking bay and vehicle bay. Should the main dome be penetrated, all the buildings will lock down since once they are completed, they will be airtight once closed up."

Ahsoka nodded, glancing at the only two completed buildings, the buildings which housed the docking bays.

"That building over there will become your library and archive once complete, while the rest are designed with training facilities at the lower levels while the upper levels are going to be dormitories, quarters, meditation rooms and so on. There will be multiple medical bays, we've already imported the Rune Doors to link them to the central medical bay in that building."

"And the disc?" Ahsoka said, looking up at the large circular structure supported by buttresses extending from the towers.

"That disc is the Council Hall and associated areas." Arthur replied. Ahsoka stared at him and he shrugged. "Look, I know that this place is far too big for you now, but when the Jedi Order really gets going, you'll be glad of the room. In fact, we've got tunnel points installed so that more domes can be added when needed."

Ahsoka shook her head in disbelief and Arthur smirked.

"It was relaxing dealing with the Temple after the Wolfdome."

"Wolfdome?"

Arthur nodded. "The Wolfalorians wanted their own habitation sphere, one slightly smaller than the Temple, but which required some… _interesting_ modifications. A park and forest area being the least. From above, the floor plan looks like… well, thing a four-way yin-yang with a central circle. It's the only way I can describe it."

Ahsoka blinked in concentration, then slowly nodded. "I… think I see."

"Come on, let me show you the first hangar bay. We upgraded the Magnetic Containment field with a runic array fed by a small conduit. It now keeps in the heat as well."

.

"That's… Those are…"

"The first three Delta-6/m starfighters." Arthur confirmed. "Courtesy of the Wolfalorians. Training simulators have been set up already so you can get people used to flying them. I've tried one out myself and… I crashed four times..."

"I crashed twice on my first simulator flight." Ahsoka shrugged.

"…trying to get out of the hangar." Arthur finished and Ahsoka looked away as she frantically tried to not burst out laughing. After a few moments, she was able to look at her companion again.

"So…" She managed. "Apart from the new starfighters and simulators, what else do we have here?"

"This way to the vehicle bay." Arthur said, motioning towards a side door.

.

The fifteen-meter-tall ten-wheeled vehicle loomed in the bay, the tallest part of it barely a meter below the ceiling. The wheels alone were twice as high as Ahsoka and she stared at in in amazement.

"You… built a _Juggernaut_?"

"Of course." Arthur replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We needed a search and rescue vehicle that could traverse the surface of the moon and the Juggernaut seemed to fit perfectly. We've equipped it with side-ramps for loading and unloading, multiple airlocks, an emergency medbay, a small magic generator and a Rune Door. The Door leads to a chamber just behind the vehicle bay, I'll show it to you soon. It lets us move people to and from the Juggernaut while it is deployed. The second Juggernaut is still under construction."

Ahsoka stared at Arthur, then turned her attention back to the Juggernaut, her gaze briefly resting on the symbols of the Jedi proudly displayed on the nose and flank.

"We left off most of the weapons in favor of enhanced sensors and a better internal setup." Arthur continued. "This means that the A5/m only needs a crew of two for basic maneuvers, or twelve for full functionality including the medbay attendants. It also carries a Runic Generator to power the magical aspects such as the anti-infection wards in the medbay, the anti-impact shields, the guns and the _wingardium leviosa_ projector for use in retrieving items. Although it has on-board power generation abilities, we have most of its power routed from the Temple generators through the Rune Door."

"You created… a magical tractor beam?" Ahsoka managed and Arthur nodded with a grin.

"Locks on with a laser designation unit, then lets you move whatever to wherever. We've been testing it by using it to help finish the outer shell of several other domes. Come on, let me show you what it's like inside, then we can continue."

.

"…and finally, this is the Council Chamber." Arthur said as they stepped through the door. Ahsoka looked round, impressed. The three stories below the Chamber itself had been comprised of small suites round the outer areas, offices, restrooms and a multi-story secure archive room in the middle, but the Chamber itself was a masterpiece.

The room stretched across the top of the supported disc, large panes of reinforced transparisteel stretching between the towers that penetrated the dome that also acted as the ceiling. On the floor, the Jedi symbol was again inlaid, pointing towards one side of the room where, if one looked out of the window, Earth could be seen hovering just above the horizon. The twelve chairs in the room were arranged in a two-thirds circle with the open portion facing the distant Earth, each chair set on a small circle that implied that the chairs could rotate at need. The entire council floor was surrounded by a series of seven rising concentric benches/steps which provided a good view of the meeting area while allowing ease of access, benches with eight lines of access stairs aligned with the towers, giving the subconscious feel of an eight-spoked roundel.

"Wow." Ahsoka managed after a few moments of drinking in the view. "If Yoda wasn't already green, he'd turn it with envy at seeing this."

Arthur smirked slightly.

"I'm glad you approve. Once the Jedi Order become known to the mundane world, I expect that it'll rapidly grow, hence the sheer size of this place."

Ahsoka nodded, then paused. "Wait, with the Rune Doors… how will we hide them?"

"Given that to become a Jedi, you must learn about the Wizarding World, I see no real problems." Arthur shrugged, then he walked over to a small podium set on one side. "By the way, this may be interesting."

Arthur tapped several controls on the podium and Ahsoka looked up as a large hanging ring that she had thought was merely a decorative light fixture started to glow. A moment later, a three-meter-high translucent image of the Earth appeared hovering in the middle of the Chamber, the South Pole barely half a meter above the ground.

"WolfTech have managed to combine runic arrays and technology to create holographic display capabilities." Arthur explained as the image rotated. "They're still working on the non-magic equivalent for general release, but the Dome has several of these. A smaller one is in the secure archives, another will be in the general archive rooms and the final one is mounted just under the Chamber, projecting above the central courtyard."

"Nice." Ahsoka said with an approving nod. "I'm sure that it will prove very useful."

.

* * *

.

"Wow."

Molly stared in amazement at the starscape outside the dome. The move had gone flawlessly and the Burrow was now set in the center of a dome over half a mile across, thus giving them more space than they had before. A single tower rose up behind the Burrow to support the apex of the dome and a Quidditch pitch was in the process of being installed on the other side.

"This is amazing." She added and her companion nodded.

"I was amazed the first time that I entered a Dome as well." Sirena said, her eyes fixed on the Earth which was hanging just above the lunar horizon. "You get used to it, though."

Molly nodded and looked round curiously.

"You have full life-support and magical generators buried underneath the Dome with grav-generators providing normal earth-gravity." Sirena said. "Over there, we have an area set at lunar gravity and equipped with cushioning charms, mainly because it's fun to bounce around in. We think your kids will love it."

Molly smiled, then she frowned slightly. "How will I send letters? I don't think that owls can fly up here."

"Already sorted." Sirena replied. "Using special rune-inscribing tools, we were able to create smaller versions of the Rune Doors for owls to fly through. One of those Owldoors is near the top of the tower, it connects to the Concourse and from there to a special room we've leased from Gringotts that is connected to their Owlery. We've tested the system and it works perfectly. Gringotts has leased the concept from us for their own usage, so we effectively get the connection for free. The downside is that if you try and take an Owldoor through a Rune Door, it breaks the connections of both. We lost four Rune Doors that way before we worked out what was going on."

Molly paused, uncertain whether to commiserate or laugh at that. After a moment, she decided to refocus.

"What about the others?"

"Mr Lovegood had his home moved to a dome last week while Madam Longbottom chose to remain on Earth to, in her words, _keep an eye on what those bastards are doing_."

"And the Tano's?"

"Potter Manor was the second one moved up here, right after Black Manor." Sirena smiled.

Molly laughed. "Oh, if only I could have seen Lucius' face."

.

* * *

.

Lucius Malfoy dropped head into his hands.

" _Why_ did no-one bring this to my attention?" he demanded of the empty study before he inhaled deeply and returned his attention to the memos in front of him. Carefully spreading them out, he glared at the pictures before him, large craters that had once been the Black Mansion, the Potter Mansion, the Rookery and the Burrow, as well as a burnt and twisted pile of wreckage that had apparently once been the Potter Concourse.

That meant that Potter was probably still alive after all.

According to his source in Gringotts, the Potter Concourse had simply been _moved_ elsewhere.

At least the Longbottom Manor was still where it was supposed to be…

The Longbottom Manor…

Lucius grinned. "At least when my plan goes into operation, I will be able to seize the Longbottoms and use their link to locate the damned Jedi."

**.**

* * *

.

"That's odd."

Sirena looked up from the bureaucratic forms on her computer as the tone of voice registered.

"What's odd?"

"It's just… I was updating the maps with orbital imagery and.. well,I think you need to look at this."

Sirena rose from her workstation and walked across the office. Resting one hand on the desk and the other on the back of the chair, she leaned forwards and looked at the screen.

"That's Stonehenge. I recognise it, visited it once."

"Yeah, but it's moved."

Sirena felt her eyebrows shoot up. "It's _what_?"

"Moved. Over a hundred meters south-west. It was at 51 10 43 04 north by 1 49 34 39 west, but now it's at 51 10 39 18 north and 1 48 45 01 west. It's also rotated a little bit."

Sirena blinked as her eyes looked at the pop-up showing the actual location of Stonehenge and the records of where it actually should have been standing. Frowning slightly, she reached across and keyed a command into the console and the image on the screen changed.

"What the _fuck_? Sorry, ma'am."

"I've used that word several times before myself." Sirena shrugged, her gaze transfixed by the new image. "Get on the comm, we need to get the Alpha and the dog down here fast."

.

* * *

.

"…and this will eventually be the Jedi Temple once it is complete." Ahsoka said as she led her Padawans through the Rune Door. The six children looked round and made noises of appreciation and admiration.

"Do we get out own suites?" asked Nicola Atorio and Ahsoka smiled.

"Padawans get a bedroom with attached shower room. Jedi Knights get a small flat with a main room with kitchen area, a bedroom and a shower room while Jedi Masters get a full suite with a living room, kitchen and dining room, private study, bedroom and bathroom. Since I'm the most experienced here, I'm taking my position as an acting Jedi Master."

"Well, if Abe keeps going as fast as he has been, you'll be able to take that rank in truth by the end of the year." Harry half-joked, earning a playful punch to his shoulder from the aforementioned blademaster-trainee.

"I'm still getting used to this." Admitted the seventh member of the group. "I mean, learning that Nicola was a witch was tough enough,then there was all the magical stuff such as the Gringotts Gates and Rune Doors, but finding out that the Jedi were real and not just a role-playing thing? _That_ was mind-blowing."

"But you've adapted really well to it, Will." His cousin replied soothingly. "I mean, you've really taken to the healing disciplines."

Will shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed. "You're right, Nicky. I like helping people. And it's quite fun at the gamers group, seeing the others playing as Jedi characters and thinking _they'll never believe that I am one in real life_. I mean, if the situation were reversed, I wouldn't believe it myself."

Several of the others joined in the laughter as they entered a lift that rapidly took them up. When the doors opened, Hermione gasped in surprise.

"Wow! Is this the Jedi Chamber?"

"It is indeed." Ahsoka smiled, leading her Padawans out. "Once we get enough Jedi trained, I intend to appoint the Council to provide direction and oversight for the Jedi Order."

"Council Leader Ahsoka Tano." Luna said, her gaze unfocused. "Yes… You will be a great leader, aided by the _blades of repentance_."

Ahsoka blinked. "The what?"

Luna shrugged. "I don't know, it's what I saw."

.

* * *

.

"Lord Black, Alpha Lupin, we have a situation." Sirena said as the duo entered.

The two men exchanged a long look before Sirius spoke. "That doesn't sound good."

"Something's happening at Stonehenge." Sirena stated. "Stonehenge is the location of one of the most powerful nodes on the planet, so if anything strange happens, it needs to be investigated. While you were on your way, I sent one of the lartmes to do some low-level recon with strict orders to stay cloaked and disengage if discovered. They've got quite some distance to cover, so they'll be there in a couple of hours but in the meantime, I can show you what we've got."

The Wolfalorian manning the console moved out of the way and Sirena took his place, her fingers flying across the keyboard.

"As you can see, it _looks_ like Stonehenge has moved. However, we used an orbital array to take photos using infra-red, ultra-violet and several other wavelengths that most wizards have no idea exist and therefore cannot protect against. _This_ is what we found."

For almost a minute, the room was silent as everyone looked at the screen, then Remus finally spoke.

"What in Merlin's name _is_ that?"

"We don't know." Sirena admitted. "We're limited to passive scanners only due to the atmospheric depth and protective wards, plus we can only really get a look at it from the top. At a guess, though, it looks like some sort of antennae. Then again, with magic, you can never be truly sure. Whatever it is, though, I don't think that we're going to like whatever it does."

Sirius nodded slowly. "Augusta is still active in the British wizarding world, I'll ask her to keep an ear out for anything linked to this. If only they were advanced enough that we could intercept their communications!"

Remus nodded. "I agree. The lack of modernization has really bitten us on this one."

.

* * *

.

Margaret Thatcher looked in shock at the folders and books on her desk, then up at the head of MI-6, who returned her gaze with a level one.

"Colin," She managed after a moment, " _How_ did your people miss this for so long?"

Colin McColl shrugged. "We were concentrating on looking for the base of operations for WolfTech due to their links with a known terrorist group. Until recently, we didn't realize that Playful Cub Games Company was owned by WolfTech until one of our researchers found his son and friends playing the roleplaying game Protectors of the Old Republic. Quite a lot of what WolfTech has done actually matches up with the technology featured in these sourcebooks."

Thatcher picked up one of the books titled _The Old Republic Sourcebook_ , opening it to one of the bookmarks and quickly scanning the page before looking up.

"How does this match up with what the Ministry supplied us with about the Jedi?"

"Quite well, actually." McColl said with a slight shrug that was more sensed than seen. "The use of the Force, lightsabers and their fighting styles, you may want to check out the species expansion book. We think we've found the so-called demon that had the ministry so worried. It's either a Devaronian or a Togruta, although there is a possibility that it could be an Iktotchi. Given that the second one has more history and general information as well as striped horns, we think it's a Togruta."

Thatcher gave him a disbelieving look as she put the first book down and picked up the indicated book. Opening it to the first bookmarked page, she quickly scanned the text, then she turned to the second bookmark and read that as well before scanning the third one. Putting the book down, she reached up with one hand to pinch the bridge of her nose as she scowled at the desk.

"Colin… are you suggesting that the Ministry of Magic has made _first contact_ and instead of doing it right, has completely screwed things up with their superstitious outlook?"

"It seems that way." Colin replied. "The information in the books is too coherent, too… encompassing for it to have simply been invented in such a short time. The bits of technical information about hyperdrives and FTL comms are, according to the physicists we contacted, theoretically possible while the whole hyperspace paths and dangers thing explains why we haven't been contacted by aliens assuming that the Old Republic _does_ exist out there. According to the map in the first book, _we_ are deep inside the Unknown Regions. I have a small group analyzing the data in the books."

Thatcher sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose again.

"Do the Americans know?"

"We're… uncertain." Colin admitted. "We _do_ know that they've declared WolfTech to be a planetary resource due to their breakthroughs… I guess we know where those came from now. The security group known as the Wolfalorians seem to be _extremely_ similar to the mercenary nation known as the Mandalorians in the book and now we know where the idea for the stinger weapons came from."

"Summary?"

Colin sighed. "The theory that best describes recent happenings is that we have at least one Togruta who came to this world through unknown means, adopted the boy Harry Potter, made allies while remaining concealed from the world in general and is leaking technology to Earth in the hopes of raising the tech level enough that he, or more likely _she_ , can get back to his or her homeworld of Shili. We also think this alien is a Jedi, due in part to the fact that the Jedi are the most featured in the _Users of the Force_ sourcebook."

Thatcher took the book in question and glanced at it.

"So, what do you think we should do?"

.

* * *

.

"…and this is where we have the simulators for the Delta-6 and the lartmes, so you can learn to fly without risking yourselves." Ahsoka said as she led them into the large room. A dozen cockpit-shaped simulators were lined along part of one wall while paint-marks on the other areas of the room indicated where more simulators were due to be installed. Against the back wall were a trio of cockpit modules that looked like they had been removed from their LAAT/i's and the canopies coated with metal.

"Those three are occupied." Will frowned and Ahsoka glanced over, stretching out with her senses.

"…interesting." She said after a moment. "That's Xenophilius, Perenelle and Albus in those three. Hold on."

Ahsoka walked over to a large console set in the corner of the room and activated the screens. The images showed a trio of Delta-6 fighters weaving through a mob of attacking Sabaoth starfighters, their lasers wreaking havoc amongst the piratical starfighters that were trying to reach a damaged passenger liner.

"Damn, they're good." Abraham whistled as Albus' fighter performed a spinning turn that dropped him behind an enemy squadron which a well-placed missile promptly halved. "But… isn't Albus all about letting his enemies repent and redeem themselves?"

"We've been talking to Albus a _lot_ recently." Ahsoka shrugged. "Nicolas Flamel managed to make several points that Albus couldn't refute and it caused him to rethink his stance slightly. He'll still show mercy to his enemies when he can, but now he _knows_ that failing to provide limits means that far more people get hurt in the long run. The hard part was expanding his worldview without destroying it."

On the screens the last enemy starfighter was shredded by to intersecting bursts of laserfire. A moment later, the simulators opened.

"Hi, dad!"

"Pumpkin!" Xenophilius shouted, leaping out of the simulator and catching his daughter in a spinning hug. "You really should try these, they're even better than finding a Blibbering Humdinger!"

"They are quite addictive." Perenelle admitted as she climbed out of her simulator. "Nicky wants a Delta-6 of his own and I can see why. I think I'll place an order for one as well, although I'll take care of the paint job myself. Red just isn't my color. The delta-6 is very agile, though. No wonder the younger Weasleys like flying them."

Ahsoka nodded. "It is quite maneuverable, but there are some that are even more agile, to the point that you _need_ to be a Force-user to fly them. Skyguy's Delta-7 was so modified that it could do maneuvers even pre-programmed vulture droids couldn't follow and I only remember one person who could consistently match him in her own starfighter. She was on the other side, however…"

.

* * *

.

Lucius Malfoy looked up from the document he was perusing as Minister of Magic Ladon Greengrass stormed into his study.

"We have a problem. A big one." Ladon snarled without preamble. "Thatcher knows that we… _shaded_ the truth about the Jedi and I just got news from the American Ministry that the demon has been granted full sentient status over there. Apparently they did it a while ago, but as we still have nepotism-appointed incompetents over there, it only just got back to us."

"This news is concerning." Malfoy mused as Ladon sat down heavily. "But I assure you that it is not impossible to overcome. I have a plan in motion that will counter this… _unfortunate_ revelation. Just hold Thatcher off for another week or two, that's all I ask."

After giving him a searching look, Ladon nodded slowly. "I hope you know what you're doing, Lucius."

"Trust me."

.

* * *

.

Ahsoka whooped as she spun the Delta-6 into another complex spiral, then she frowned as an icon appeared on her screen. Activating the comm (which used a modified Maruder Mirror to interface with the Jedi Temple systems), she spoke.

"This is Red One, I've just detected what may be a starship emerging from Hyperspace and am going to investigate. Activating stealth."

"Possible contact noted, Red One." A voice returned. "Should I summon backup for you?"

"Who else is there currently trained?" Ahsoka asked, her tone showing that she knew that no-one else had progressed far enough to join her in what may become a combat mission. "I'm heading out now."

Hitting a small button on her console, Ahsoka _felt_ the magical shields activate around her craft, cloaking it from detection. With a grin, she thrust the throttle forwards and the Delta-6 leapt ahead.

.

"No bloody way." Ahsoka gasped, looking up out of her cockpit at the Barloz-class freighter that she was paralleling. The only life-form aboard the hundred-meter long freighter was in the cockpit and despite the fact that the being was clad in a loose space-suit, it was very recognizable. Ahsoka swallowed and triggered her comm.

"Temple, we have a problem…"


	25. Arrival And Activation

The forty-meter-long space-scarred freighter slowly drifted into the hastily-cleared landing bay and gently settled on its landing skids as the blast doors closed behind it. From behind quickly-assembled barricades, two dozen Wolfalorians in both bipedal and wolf form watched carefully, weapons held tightly in the hands of those in their human form.

After a long few minutes, the port boarding ramp descended and a figure walked down it. Sirena strode across to meet the new arrival as the other Wolfalorians took careful aim.

 _::I run for years and the Mandalorians are here ahead of me.::_ The grey-skinned woman muttered. Sirena breathed an internal sigh of relief that the woman was using the language that Ahsoka had taught to them as their battle-language.

 _::We are actually_ Wolf _alorians.::_ Sirena said and the woman cocked an eyebrow at her. _::We took the best of the Mandalorians and adapted it for our own needs. My name is Sirena, may I ask your name?::_

"Asajj Ventress."

Remus blinked and stared at the woman, noting her lack of hair, the glow of an artificial eye in her right socket and the tattoos on the sides of her head.

"I though she had died in the war?"

 _::What is he talking about?::_ Asajj asked curiously and Remus facepalmed.

_::My apologies. I forgot which language I was speaking. I said that I had heard about you, that you were a very skilled warrior, but that you had died in the war.::_

_::The war.::_ Asajj scoffed. _::We lost.::_

 _::The Separatists?::_ Ahsoka asked and Asajj shook her head.

 _::No,_ all _of us. Both sides. The war was a… a_ farce _. A play, written and directed by a single person, for a single purpose. From the first flashpoint it was designed to move the Jedi into position so that the Sith could give the order to wipe them out. Order 66. The Jedi were wiped out by the very troops they once led and the Separatists were betrayed by their leader. Darth Sidious rules now, or should I call him Emperor Palpatine?::_

 _::Palpatine? The Supreme Chancellor? He was a Sith?::_ Ahsoka gasped and Asajj nodded as she sat at the table, her hands clenched in front of her.

_::He was and is. He was the one who trained the one known as Maul, the one who led Dooku to the Dark Side. And now he has a new apprentice, a black-clad monster called Darth Vader. No-one knows where he came from, he was suddenly just there.::_

_::What about Master Skywalker? What happened to Anakin?::_

Asajj lowered her head. _::He's dead. According to the official release, he traveled to Mustaphar where he sacrificed himself in taking out the Separatist High Command despite Kenobi trying to sabotage his mission. Soon after, Jedi were then wiped out, the Empire claimed that it was because they tried to kill Chancellor Palpatine and seize power for themselves, but Palpatine was Darth Sidious all along. He set it all up, the Clone Army, the Separatists, everything, all so that he could destroy the Jedi and, with them gone, seize power and rule over everything.::_

Ahsoka sat motionless and Asajj looked up, her eyes filled with pity.

_::You are the last of the Jedi now.::_

Remus looked at Ahsoka, then wrapped his arm around her shoulders before turning his attention to Asajj.

_::What are your plans?::_

_::I was seeking a place to live out my life quietly, somewhere where they would never find me.::_ Asajj said quietly, a wry smile on her lips even as her voice reflected her despair. _::That's why I headed as deeply into the Unknown Regions as I could. I wanted nothing to do with the one who betrayed me, who betrayed everything I was fighting for and everything that my first master had once fought for. It's all gone, there's nothing left for me now.::_

 _::Your_ first _master?::_

 _::Ky Narec.::_ Asajj replied, her eyes unfocused as her sight viewed a long-lost past. _::He saved me when I was taken from my homeworld of Dantooine to become nothing but a young slave on Rattatak, he raised me as a Jedi, telling me stories of the Jedi Order and how they never abandoned their own. But Master Narec was killed before they came and I was left with nothing to live for but vengeance. I thought that Ky had been betrayed by the Jedi, so I sought out their enemies, the Sith, so that I could avenge him, but the Sith used me, manipulated me and finally cast me aside, so I ran. I tried to leave everything behind, I cleared out my secret bank accounts and retrieved my hidden ship, the_ Narec's Memory _, stocked it up with as many supplies as I could, emptied every cache I had that I knew wasn't being watched and left, vowing never to return.::_

"This changes everything." Ahsoka whispered. "I thought that the Old Republic would always be there, as it has been for over twenty-five thousand years, guarded by the Jedi, but now there's an Empire in its place, one led by a Sith…"

"We'll need to build a powerful defense fleet before we dare explore the stars." Remus noted, then he caught Asajj's gaze.

_::What is the language that the two of you are using? And what are you saying?::_

_::We are discussing possibilities for the future.::_

.

Ventress halted and stared in shock at the moving portrait, the occupants of which looked back at her with unabashed curiosity. A moment later, the portrait spoke and Sirena answered.

 _::What is this?_ How _is it?::_ She whispered as Sirena finished her conversation with the painting.

 _::Magic.::_ Sirena replied _. ::Using it, a wizard can place a copy of his memories into a Portrait so that after his death, his knowledge and experience is not lost. The Portraits are made with hair from the wizard woven into the canvas and the blood of the wizard used to make the paints. Special charms allow the wizard to add to the knowledge held in the Portrait at any time and the Portrait itself only awakens after the wizard dies, letting people interact with a copy of their personality.::_

 _::Amazing…::_ Asajj breathed _. ::It's like a Holocron, only not using technology. Do all wizards make Portraits?::_

 _::Only the rich, the process is expensive.::_ Came the reply. _::The process also needs a large amount of magic from the one the portrait is of, so only magically powerful witches and wizards can do it. Most Wizarding Portraits are found in Manors or at Hogwarts, where they are tied into the wards themselves, according to Lord Black.::_

Asajj stared at the portrait for a long moment, then she turned away and wiped her eyes. _::Damn it, if only… If only I could have… Master Narec would have loved this. A Holocron without technology…::_

_::He meant the world to you, didn't he?::_

Asajj shook her head. _::No, he meant the universe to me. He was the first one to accept me as one who could be his equal, not a pawn, a slave or a… a thing to be used and discarded. When he was killed…::_

Sirena stood near the silently-crying woman.

 _::Why did he have to die?::_ Asajj wept, accepting Sirena's silent offer and letting the armoured woman wrap reassuring arms around her as the wounds in her heart started to ache once again. _::What did I do to deserve that?::_

From the far end of the corridor, a pair of eyes watched her curiously.

.

* * *

.

"We have a problem. One hell of a problem that I never saw coming." Ahsoka said as Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel took their seats. "The Republic has fallen and an Empire run by the Sith has taken its place."

Nicolas sat heavily in his seat. "That… is bad news."

"It gets worse." Ahsoka said heavily. "The Jedi are… gone. Myself and my six students are probably the biggest group left. We now have navigational data back to the Old Rep… I mean the _Empire_ thanks to Asajj Ventress, but if we use it, it'll notify the Empire that we exist, with all the problems that _that_ brings."

"Do you believe her?" Penny asked and Ahsoka nodded.

"Yes. It explains a _lot_ that I couldn't understand about the war, as well as why those clone troopers attacked me, causing me to end up here. Fortunately, we managed to get a windfall out of it. We now have working examples of a Hyperdrive, non-magical inertial compensators, full navicomputer data that we can copy as well as more examples of technology, including Hydrospanners. Even a G _inivex_ -class fanblade starfighter I think would work better than the Delta-6 for Jedi as it's so agile. I already have a team working on duplicating and upgrading it. Asajj didn't bring any droids along, so we can't copy them,but most of what we need is on that ship. And Asajj has agreed to trade for it."

"What did she want?" Nicolas enquired and Ahsoka grinned.

"A refuge. We've given her the dome originally intended for the Longbottoms, it already had power and basic life-support systems, we're using her starship's hydroponics bay as the basis of her garden. She even brought _vweliu_ plants, I remember when one Corellian Jedi handed out _Ryshcate_ during a celebration. I still have the recipe somewhere... Sorry, got distracted."

"Understandable." Penny commented and Ahsoka smiled briefly.

"Anyway, out there is now a Sith Empire, but one which remembers being a Republic. It won't take long for a resistance movement to rise up, but it could take a while for an _effective_ one to do so. Amongst the things that Asajj Ventress brought with her are schematics for several classes of warships, both Republic and Separatist. WolfTech are almost salivating over them and are making plans for orbital and lunar space docks to build them in once they've upgraded them. Of course, that means somehow introducing magic to everyone on Earth."

Nicolas and Perenelle looked at each other, communicating silently through sheer experience, familiarity and love before turning back.

"We're enjoying life again and are looking forwards to travelling amongst the stars. We'll help with the ship designs."

"Thank you."

.

* * *

.

Asajj didn't even twitch as the person walking up behind her stopped by her side, then almost collapsed into an inelegant sprawl. After a few moments, she spoke.

_::Are you one of the ones who can speak Basic? Sirena said that one would come to help me settle into my new home.::_

_::Of course.::_ The black-haired man replied with a roguish smile. _::It wouldn't do to have my allies being able to make rude comments about me without me knowing, would it? How could I make fun of their comments if I couldn't understand them? As for settling in, I'm certain you've already worked out most of the technology used here.::_

Asajj smirked slightly at that.

_::Asajj Ventress. Former Jedi Padawan, former Sith Acolyte and now… tired. Tired of fighting, tired of war, of revenge, just… tired.::_

_::Sirius Black. Galaxy's greatest lover, incredible heart-throb, dispenser of kisses and hugs, all-round nice guy and famed animagus.::_

Asajj blinked at the last. _::What's an… anomoljus?::_

 _::Animagus. In my case, it's a special skill that means I can turn into a large dog called Padfoot.::_ Sirius smirked, then to Asajj's shock, Sirius seemed to blur and flow into a new shape, a large, hairy quadrupedal animal. As she stared in shock, hand half-raised, Sirius ducked his head and Asajj found herself stroking the soft fur on his head.

 _::Amazing…::_ She breathed as Padfoot let loose a rumble of contentment. _::Absolutely… amazing…::_

.

Ahsoka stopped at the edge of the garden, staring at a sight that she never thought she'd see. On the lawn, Asajj was curled up on her side, fast asleep with her head resting on Padfoot's flank and a small smile on her face. Padfoot himself was half-curled to act as her pillow with her hand lightly entangled in the fur on his shoulder.

"Damn." Remus half-whispered from behind her. "The last time I saw something like that was while James and Lily were still alive and Harry fell asleep using him as a mattress. I think he's fallen for her."

"He's only just met her!" Ahsoka whispered back and Remus nodded with a grin.

"It's the Black Curse, or so they call it. If an adult Black meets _the one_ for them, they just _know_ it. Andromeda _knew_ it with Ted and from what they've said, I think that Tonks has had the same happen to her, although I have _no_ idea who she's planning on going after. I feel sorry for the unfortunate chap, though, she's certainly… persistent."

Ahsoka blinked several times as she fought to comprehend the situation. "You mean… like a soul mate?"

"Pretty close, yes." Remus shrugged, gently guiding Ahsoka away from the sleeping duo. "The fun thing about it is that even though they _know_ , they don't _know_ that they know. Not for quite a while, at least."

"Wait." Ahsoka managed. "What? Hang on, she doesn't even have magic!"

"Doesn't matter." The grinning Wolfalorian replied as they walked through the Rune Door to the Lunar Concourse. "Oh, I'm going to have so much fun teasing them about this once they've had some time for their bond to settle."

Ahsoka glanced back as the door closed behind them, catching a glimpse of Asajj snuggling closer to Padfoot before the airlock cut her view of them, then Remus' communicator chimed.

"Alpha Remus!" A voice barked from it. "The scrying sensors have picked a massive surge from the Stonehenge device!"

"What?" ****

.

* * *

.

" _My Lord, we are ready to activate the Imperious Field._ "

Lucius nodded at the cloaked figure's announcement as he gazed upon the tall structure of stone and crystal that was the key to his total control over both the muggle and wizarding worlds.

"You may commence activation."

The figure bowed and strode off and Lucius smirked as the knot of people scattered to various points. After several moments, the air began to feel heavy as the inner section of the three-dimensional crystal runic tower began to gently glow, a pulsating, flickering glow that soon solidified.

"What's going on, father?" Draco asked, looking up at the glowing array.

"We are casting a low-level variation of the _Imperious_ across the entire planet, using the ley-lines as conduits." Lucius said, his eyes still fixed on the activities amongst the pillars. "The runes on our arms protect us from the field, but everyone else should be affected by it."

Draco nodded and Lucius's expression betrayed nothing of his thoughts. Although his family and allies had indeed received received their own runic clusters, those clusters were not the same as his own. They granted only partial immunity to the _Imperious_ field, although they could still be used to command those fully under the thrall of the _Imperious_. The partial immunity, however, meant that he could command _them_ and they would obey.

Not that he would ever tell them that. After all, they might be able to find some way to counter his control if they knew. Even his wife, as much as he adored her, wasn't aware of that detail.

He would be in command, himself and himself alone.

"It will take almost a month for the field to reach its full strength." Lucius said instead. "The field is designed to slowly reduce the ability to think independently above a certain level, increasing the urge to simply let others make the large-scale choices. Those affected will still do their jobs, look after their families, have fun with their friends and so on, but they will obey us without realizing that they might not want to. Just think, you will be able to claim any girl you want in Hogwarts while your control over your house will be enhanced. Just be aware that a few of the others have the rune arrays as well, you will _know_ them when you are near them."

"What about the Jedi? What about Potter?"

Lucius smirked. "Potter is no longer an issue. I used a special scrying spell that would find him anywhere on Earth, even behind a _Fidelius_ , so long as he was alive. There was no sign of him."

"He might be on that space station the muggles built, or even on that new moonbase that made the papers a while back." Draco countered and Lucius gave him a surprised look of respect.

"That was an aspect of the situation that I gave quite a bit of thought to. Not that it matters, once the field is fully established, I'll have the muggles evacuate that station and abandon it. Without access to Earth for air, food and water, if he is up there, he'll die up there."

Draco nodded slowly, glancing up at the lightly-clouded sky, his face pensive.

"Be happy, Draco." Lucius said jovially. "In a month's time, whatever you want will be yours to take."

Draco nodded again, his thoughts dark. How would he prove himself now?

"Father," Draco said suddenly. "If you had intended to use this all this time, why did you spend so much time setting up the government as you did? I don't understand why you wasted so much effort on it."

Lucius glanced fondly at his son. "I only intended to use this soon after the final demise of Riddle, when the opportunity arose. I kept my other main plan going in case this one failed, one should never rely on a single plan, it means you have nothing to fall back on. Always plan, plan and plan, and never forget to prepare an escape route in case something goes wrong. While what we are doing here trumps everything, abandoning my other plans would have raised suspicions. Everyone was concentrating on the Wizengamot and the Ministry, meaning that no-one knew about this place and now that it is activating, no-one ever will."

Draco nodded slowly. "I… think I see. Will you be keeping your other plans going?"

Lucius returned his attention to the crystal tower and the lights that were starting to trace complicated paths between the spars. "Of course. If something goes wrong here, if a thousand-to-one event removes this tower despite the wards and the shields, I will be able to escape before anyone can move against me. It is almost impossible for anything to fail now, but I believe in being prepared for all things. Even if the odds are a million to one against something happening, you should never truly discount that one. It is a lesson that Riddle failed to learn before his first demise. Besides, there will be no _noticeable_ effects for a couple of weeks, so in the meantime, my original plan gives me something to distract myself with."

.

"Report!" Sirius snapped as he strode into the circular control room located at the apex of the WolfTech dome. At the center, a large holographic Earth floated, looking almost identical to the one floating just above the lunar horizon, except that the real Earth didn't have floating screens of almost-indecipherable symbols and runic readouts surrounding it.

"Unknown magical field has now covered ninety percent of the planet and the rate of coverage is increasing." One of the watchstanders said. "Scrying scopes report no direct physical damage to the environment around Stonehenge. We are expanding the search radius now."

"Drop-drone is uploading preliminary sensor readouts now." Came another call. "We are getting arithmancy feed… runic resonance confirmation… computer is looking for a match… possible match found… seventy-nine percent… _Imperious_?"

Sirius found himself standing at the console in question without any memory of having moved.

"Shit! Full evacuation now! Get Alice and Frank Longbottom up here if they aren't already! Someone contact Augusta and tell her to get her tushie up here as fast as possible!"

"Dowager Longbottom is not, I repeat _not_ , answering her mirror. It is possible that the field is affecting communications."

"Dammit!" Sirius swore. "Someone find out if her manor is shielded and if it isn't, get a guard on the Door with orders to break it if anyone other than her tries to get through."

"Already on it, sir!"

"And evac everyone else we still have down there! Omega level emergency!"

"Yes sir!"

.

The clashing of lightsabers echoed across the dome as the two figured leapt and wove through their dance of combat, the blades that they held describing complex shapes through the air.

"Wow, she's good." Harry said, watching as Asajj Ventress seemed to flex underneath a whirling attack before lashing out with a strike that barely missed the evading boy.

"She's holding back." Ahsoka noted. "I think she's concentrating on teaching Abraham Jar'Kai rather than simply sparring with or beating him."

"Dual lightsabers." Will breathed in amazement as Asajj suddenly linked hers base-to-base and spun to the attack again, using her combined weapon in a manner similar to a quarterstaff.

Nicola frowned. "That weapon she's using, the two blades… it seems… I think that I should learn it."

"A double-bladed lightsaber?" Ahsoka queried, receiving a nod in return. "I don't really know much about that fighting style, I think it's based on Juyo, perhaps mixed with Niman."

"Jar'Kai…" Hermione mused. "That's the art of using two blades, right?"

Ahsoka nodded. "Several Jedi were known to use a considerably shorter lightsaber as their offhand weapon, those weapons were known as Shoto's. Normally they were between a third and half the length of a regular blade and were used for defense and blocking, although some like Master Yoda used them as their primary weapon."

The two figures froze, then Abraham deactivated his sabers in recognition of his defeat. Exchanging bows, the mismatched duo walked over to the other Jedi.

 _::He's not too bad.::_ Asajj stated. _::For a learner, anyway.::_

Abraham blinked several times as he thought through the statement, then he gave Asajj an amused glance.

 _::Thanks… I think.::_ Abraham returned and Asajj briefly smirked.

.

Sirius stared at the group standing in the middle of the concourse, then he turned to where a very embarrassed Wolfalorian was standing.

"Themyscerans."

"Yes, my lord." The man replied, his eyes fixed on a point about a foot above Sirius' head.

"In the Concourse."

"Yes, my Lord."

Sirius noted that while most of the Themyscerans were still staring at the sight of the Earth, Lucy Walker had spotted him and was striding over, her face set in a frown of determination.

"Do you have an explanation for this?"

The Wolfalorian hesitated for a moment, his face frozen in an agony of indecision. Before he could marshal his thoughts, Lucy had stopped beside them.

"Mr Black."

"Miss Walker." Sirius replied, inclining his head to her in a manner somehow reminiscent of a formal bow. "Welcome to the Potter Alliance Concourse."

"Looks to me like we fell down the rabbit hole." Lucy stated and Sirius nodded. He had been introduced to the many muggle tales by the Grangers and thus caught the reference.

"I see that you brought your entire team, even the reserves." Sirius noted and Lucy shrugged.

"We were training up for first Pro season at the WolfTech Stinger Arena since we hoped to field two teams rather than just one. Give everyone a better chance at becoming famous, you know? Anyway, we were setting up when suddenly the Wolfalorians all clapped one hand to the side of their helmets, then grabbed everything they could and ran like hell. We thought something really bad was happening, so we followed them and... well, I'm not entirely sure _what_ happened, but here we are… wherever _here_ is."

"Long story." Sirius sighed. "Dare I hope that any of you are familiar with the roleplaying game _Tales of the Old Republic_?"

Lucy nodded, then looked round again, her eyes wide as realisation started setting in.

"Oh my god." She whispered. "The game, it's based on reality, isn't it?"

Sirius nodded.

"Aliens are real and they're here."

Sirius nodded again and Lucy stared at him… then collapsed bonelessly towards the floor. Only the enhanced reflexes of the Wolfalorian prevented her from hitting the ground.

"I think she took that well." Sirius shrugged.

.

* * *

.

"Good morning. I hope the accomodations met with your approval."

Augusta Longbottom spun round to face the source of the condescending greeting, her fingers twitching for a wand that she no longer had.

"Malfoy."

Lucius' smile widened at her growl and he stepped forwards, stopping just before the magical ward that bisected the room and prevented Augusta from leaving.

"It must have come as a real shock when you got diverted mid-floo." He noted, ignoring the heated glare that Augusta bestowed upon him. "You have no idea of how many favors I had to use to make it happen, but it will be worth it. You see, _you_ are the key to the total defeat and destruction of the so-called Potter Alliance."

"I don't know what you are planning, but it won't work." Augusta snarled and Lucius laughed.

"Oh no, my dear, it most assuredly _will_ work. You see, I intend to use the _Imperious_ on you."

"I can break it." Augusta said smugly. "I proved that during the war."

"Not the one I'm going to use." Malfoy countered. "You see, the _Imperious_ is based on the strength of ones will, but my people found a way to cast it with just runes and rituals. Impossible to defend against by any means."

Augusta stared at him in horror and Malfoy held up a jeweled necklace and an odd crystalline scepter covered in runes and inset gems.

"You see, this scepter focuses the ambient field that is even now being generated to overwhelm the target, while this necklace keeps the effects going. All I have to do is order you to wear the latter once you are caught under the _Imperious_ and your much-vaunted willpower will not matter in the slightest."

Augusta helplessly stared at Malfoy in mounting horror as he pointed the scepter at her. The wall hit her back as he leveled the scepter at her.

"You should be honored, you are the key to my total victory. You will provide the path for my army to seize the Potter Concourse and from there, all of those in the Alliance, making them serve me as you will. The powers of the Jedi will be mine to command, the technology from the stars likewise. _Imperio sine mortifi_!"

Augusta's world vanished in a flash of light and she knew no more.

.

* * *

.

Draco covertly looked round at the other students at the table, especially the female ones. In a couple of weeks, he would be able to have any of them as his girlfriend, doing whatever he wanted. Heck, he could even have a harem if he so chose.

But the prospect seemed… empty.

Draco had participated in the conversations about which of the girls in their year was the hottest. He'd suffered through _The Talk_ from his father and knew about his responsibility to continue the Malfoy line once he reached adulthood. His father had managed to make it so that he could simply command a girl and she would almost fall over herself to please him. She would show him all her secret places and let him do to her whatever he wanted.

Draco sighed.

It all seemed so… pointless.

He wanted to prove himself as being worthy of claiming the best. He had just started to notice girls as being more than odd beings and his eavesdropping on the older students had clued him in on many of the things that he himself had not considered. Once he was old enough, he could find it out for himself without any problem.

And that _was_ the problem.

Draco sighed again.

He wanted to prove himself, to overcome the obstacles before him using his own wits and skills. He had realized that relying on his father's name made him weak, and so he needed to forge his own path.

But his father had taken that away from him.

Even Daphne Greengrass, whose acerbic put-downs he admired despite him being her target on far too many occasions, would be his to command soon.

Draco looked down at his plate, unable to continue eating.

How could he prove himself capable if his father had removed all the obstacles? How could he shape himself into a revered leader if all he had around him were mindless sheeple?

He had seen the arms of the few friends he had and none of them had the runic array that adorned his left arm. Once the field reached full strength, they would become his minions.

He would be alone.

Draco closed his eyes.

He had dreamed of being in command, of being able to give any order and have them followed.

Now he knew.

It wouldn't be paradise.

It would be hell.


	26. Briefings

Lucy sat in the extraordinarily comfortable chair, cradling the cup of tea in her hands as if it were the only thing keeping her alive. Around her, the other nineteen members of the Themyscerans sat in similar chairs with the beverages of their choice in their hands, all of them focused on the impromptu stage before them where a Wolfalorian who had introduced herself as Sirena had just finished her presentation.

"So," Lucy said in a shell-shocked voice. "To summarize, magic exists, as you proved with that odd trick of yours, and is used in a hidden society, the _Tales of the Old Republic_ are totally true, even though it's now apparently an evil empire and yesterday someone seized control of the Earth in a manner that would resemble a Sith Lord's wet dream?"

"A crude, but not inaccurate summary." Sirena shrugged, not commenting on how her wolf-transformation had been almost disregarded as an _odd trick_. "Now you know."

Lucy cradled her head in her free hand. "What the hell are we going to do?"

"Lord Black wishes for you to join the War Council." Sirena replied. "We are discussing how to take down the thing that's sending out the control spell, but we don't really have much in the way of information about what it is and how it works. And before anyone suggests it, we can't simply drop a rock onto it. There are too many innocent people who would be caught in the blast radius, even assuming it would penetrate the barrier."

"Human shields." One of the Themyscerans muttered with distaste and Sirena nodded.

"Yes, and probably more of them once the field reaches its full power and they start directly controlling people. We're still trying to work out how to block it, but we aren't having any luck. At the moment, only the Jedi and the Lycans seem to be immune to it. Fortunately, that is what our little army is mostly composed of."

"Plus those who have mastered Occlumency." A voice said and Lucy's eyes widened as an elderly man wearing the most garish robes she had ever seen entered the room. With a base of star-spangled purple, the robes boasted pictures of unicorns and phoenixes that Lucy swore were actually moving. "Good… morning, I think. I am Albus Dumbledore and I am honored to meet all of you."

"Old man's a charmer." One of the Themyscerans murmured, just loud enough to trigger a wave of hastily-muffled giggles as Albus smiled at them, his eyes twinkling.

"Occlumency?" Lucy asked once the chortling had died down and Albus' smile widened.

"Occlumency is the art of organizing and protecting your thoughts. It also helps with preventing your emotions from getting out of control."

Lucy nodded. "I assume from your clothes that you're a wizard?"

"I am indeed." Albus twinkled. "I used to be the headmaster of a school for witches and wizards, at least until I realised that I was losing sight of that which was important and moved aside to let the younger generation take over. Learning when to do that was possibly the hardest lesson I have learned to date, but it is one which I do not regret learning in the slightest."

"When do we meet the Jedi?" Another Themysceran asked and Albus turned his attention to her.

"At this time, there are only seven Jedi, perhaps eight if you count Miss Ventress, and they are in the simulators learning to fly their new fighters."

"Hold on a minute." Sirena said, spinning to face Albus. "Their _new_ fighters? They're _not_ using the Delta-6's?"

"Delta whats?" Lucy asked curiously.

.

"Longbottom Manor." Lucius gloated as he led his handpicked group through the front gates of the aforementioned building, through the wards that Augusta Longbottom had deactivated at his command. "Alright everyone, get ready. Remember your missions."

"Looking forwards to this." Walden Macnair grinned, testing the edge of his double-bladed axe with his thumb. "Hope that those werewolves of Black's put up a struggle, I need a new wolfskin lining for my robes."

Several of the group looked slightly nauseous. Lucius noted with some amusement that none of the former Death Eaters were amongst that number and neither was Umbridge.

Lucius idly wondered why she hadn't joined the Death Eater ranks during Riddle's reign of terror.

"Augusta, take us to the place that controls the wards."

Mrs Longbottom nodded and regally swept down the hall, leading the procession into the depth of the Longbottom Manor. Soon, Lucius found himself facing something that he didn't recognize. Looking round, he saw that not a single one of his allies recognized it either.

"What is that?"

"That is the central computer." Augusta stated and Lucius blinked as his confusion increased.

"And… what _is_ it?"

"It is a programmed collection of rune-enhanced electronic components that can store, retrieve and manipulate data." Came the reply. Lucius shook his head.

"Anyone understand that?"

A chorus of negative replies answered his question and Lucius glared at Augusta.

"Does this… _thing_ control the wards?"

"Yes."

"Good." Lucius breathed. "Does it control anything else?"

"It is responsible for ensuring the proper supply and distribution of generated magic."

Lucius rubbed at his forehead. He just _knew_ that it was going to be one of _those_ days.

How could he control the world if he didn't understand half of what was happening in it?"

"Umbridge, make a note." Lucius sighed. "Due to how advanced the muggle world has become, muggle studies are to be overhauled as soon as possible."

The pink-clad woman looked as if she'd bitten into an apple and found half a worm, but she nodded anyway.

"Yes, Lord Malfoy."

"Walden, take… all except you four, and go find that Rune Door. Secure the far side of it, but no further. Now." Lucius said, turning his attention back to Augusta as Walden led most of the task force out of the room on his new mission, "How do you control this, and what can it do?"

.

"Movement… multiple."

The first Wolfalorian paused as he double-checked the icons in his helmet display, then he frowned.

"I just got visual from the remote, there are almost two dozen of them, and none of them are Madam Longbottom."

"Dammit." Cursed the second one. "Means that she _is_ in trouble. Pity, I like her."

"She hexed your ass." The first one half-protested and the second one chuckled.

"Yeah, but to be fair, she apologized afterwards for interrupting her grandson's combat training. If she were twenty years younger, I'd be wooing her."

The first Wolfalorian somehow managed to give him a deadpan look despite the all-concealing helmet he was wearing, then both of them turned their attention back to the portal they had been assigned to guard.

"They should be entering through that door… now!"

The door at the far end of the room slammed open and both Wolfalorians stepped through the Rune Door and opened fire with their blasters. The barrage of stunning spells came as a total surprise to the attackers and half of them fell before the rest managed to get behind cover (even if it was behind the bodies of the ones who had fallen). As the first blasting and slicing hexes sliced past them, the two armoured lycans retreated, then the second one hit a button mounted on the side of the door. A bright flash of light briefly lanced through the dome, then the Door cracked and collapsed into a pile of splinters and kindling.

"Well." The first one said after a long moment. "At least that's _that_ threat axis blocked."

"Yeah." Said the second. "But what about the other areas? I mean, there's the Cove, that place isn't shielded. Who's at the Cove?"

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Hu's at the Cove."

"That's what I was asking. Who is at the Cove?"

"Yes, he is."

"What?"

"No, Watt's in the WolfDome."

"…who's in the WolfDome?"

"No, Hu's at the Cove… why are you looking at me like that?"

.

Nara Hu looked up at the rising crescent moon, his coffee temporarily forgotten.

"Why do I have the feeling that something troublesome is going on?"

.

"..."

"Look, it's not my fault! I think that Alpha Remus arranged the schedules just so that that would happen!"

"…."

"Yeah, I think he's been watching too much Abbott and Costello."

"…I wonder how many others got caught up in similar conversations?"

"Never mind. Let's turn in our reports."

"To who?"

"No, he's at the Cove, remember? Ow! Stop hitting me!"

.

"Lord Malfoy, I was wondering…" Umbridge simpered from behind him, causing Lucius to roll his eyes, "Do you really think that what Slytherin's portrait is correct about the _lumos_ thing? It just seems… silly to me."

"I thought the same, so I did some research on it." Mafoy said, watching as Augusta used the computer to print out the schematics of the ward arrays. "The _Aveda Kadavera_ curse only really gained its infamous reputation a couple of centuries ago. I think that before the Founders Portraits vanished, everyone knew that _lumos_ could defend against the killing curse, and so the curse itself fell out of use, appearing only in certain family grimoires. Everyone forgot the spell existed and thus how to defend against it, so when someone started to use it after finding it in an old book, all the normal shields proved useless and no-one remembered the _lumos_ phenomenon."

"That… would make sense." Umbridge noted after a thoughtful pause.

"Of course, now that the _lumos_ counter is well known again, the killing curse will fall out of usage once more." Lucius noted absently as he picked up the sheet of printed paper. "Wow, these notes are incredible. I can see how easy it would be to track down and fix a problem with these."

"Lord Malfoy… we kind of hit a problem." A voice said from the door.

"Where's McNair?"

The wizard shifted. "Ummm, he was caught in the ambush. We're trying to revive him, but the stunner that hit him was rather… odd."

"And the Door?"

"Broken, sir. Just a pile of kindling."

"Dammit!" Lucius snarled. "I'll have to find another way to reach them. This place _can't_ have been their only link. Black's not that stupid!"

"He was a prankster back when he was a student at Hogwarts." Umbridge said and Lucius shook his head.

"I remember some of the pranks they pulled. They were very good at planning ahead, it was only when things happened that they hadn't predicted that things went wrong for them."

"But where would they have connected to?" Umbridge queried. "I mean, _everyone_ knows about the Gringotts Concourse and that the so-called Potter Alliance have sealed their Gate…"

"But it was Lily Potter who developed the Rune Door." Lucius countered, recalling a comment he had overheard. "They have her notes, who knows how many Rune Doors they could have made? They could have hidden one on Diagon Alley for all we know. Admittedly, that's unlikely as they have a Gate at Gringotts, but my point still stands."

Umbridge nodded and Lucius returned to reading the sheets of printed paper.

.

"… and at this time, the Hogwarts Door remains undisturbed while there is no sign that either the Cove or the apartment have been discovered." Remus finished, looking round. The meeting was being held in the Council Chamber of the still-under-construction Jedi Temple with most of the council chairs being used. Two of the chairs had been pushed together to allow Sirius to whisper translations for Asajj Ventress. "Despite the instruments deployed in the Cove, we have yet to fully ascertain the arithmancy formulae for this modified _Imperius_. Until we do, creating a counter will be impossible."

"So we're stuck up here." Lucy stated from her chair. "Damn."

"For now, yes." Remus said with a shrug. "We are still trying to ascertain whether it is being Force-sensitive that provides immunity, or if it is the actual training of being a Jedi. We have deduced that the process involved in turning a werewolf into a Lycan confers full immunity to the _Imperius_ , an immunity that carries over to the field on Earth."

Virtually everybody reflexively looked out of the main window at the hanging sphere above the horizon, almost as if they could somehow see the magical field that was slowly enslaving all of humanity.

"So." Ahsoka said after a few minutes. "We have access, to a degree, we can still resupply and we can… _what the Sith_?!"

Ahsoka lurched from her chair, staring at the shape that had dropped down from the stars to silhouette itself against the backdrop of Earth. Remus looked at the dark form and chuckled nervously.

"Ah, yeah. I forgot to mention… we now have a craft that can carry larties from the moon to Earth. We kind of jerry-rigged it using Asajj's ship as a base plan, using the technology we were accumulating for our planned starships, it should hold together for a mission or two…"

The growing shape started to show details and Asajj freed herself from Sirius' one-armed hug, joining Ahsoka at the viewport, staring out almost meditatively.

 _::That looks like the half-built spawn of a Bartoz freighter and a Sabaoth destroyer. What does… are those hatches in the sides? Did they copy the_ Narec's Memory _and then strap on launch bays?::_

 _::Looks like they did…"_ Ahsoka said slowly, her eyes picking out the details.

"The larties are held vertically and racked for storage, ready to drop." Remus supplied. "The Pack Runner can carry up to twenty larties and simply release them at a high altitude."

"Well." Sirius said as he resumed his position by Asajj's side, letting her rest her head against his shoulder, "This could be useful."

.

* * *

.

Draco sat down in the office and met his godfather's gaze.

"Uncle Severus, if I remember right, you are a trained Occlumans?"

Snape nodded. "Does this have to do with the spell that seems to be trying to press down on me? The one that feels like the _Imperious_?"

"It does." Draco said, gathering his courage. "I am currently immune, in fact, I have been given the power to command others once the field reaches its full strength, but I feel that… it's just not right!"

Severus tilted his head slightly.

"Damn it!" Draco cursed. "I wanted to _prove_ myself, to _show_ that I deserved the best, and dad took it all away from me! I could easily have a harem like the one he's got, but if I do, I want it to be because they _want_ to be with me, not because I ordered it!"

"I… see." Severus said, leaning back and steepling his fingers. "So, what did you plan to do about it, and how can I help you?"

.

* * *

.

Albus looked up in surprise as a familiar being appeared above his breakfast table in a swirl of fire.

"Fawkes! Do you have a message from me? Is Minerva resisting what is happening down there?"

Fawkes shook his head and swooped slightly, dropping an envelope, before landing on Dumbledore's shoulder and nuzzling against him.

"I recognize that writing." Albus said slowly. "It's Severus'."

Albus slowly opened the envelope and began reading the missive that his former spy and trusted agent against Riddle had sent him.

.

_Albus._

_Draco Malfoy came to me and asked for help in defecting. I am not certain myself how long I can last against the_ Imperius _field. As such, we both wish to seek asylum with Lord Black's forces as they are apparently beyond the effect of the spell.  
_ _I offer my skills as a potion master and all the information I possess about Lucius and his plans. Draco has in his possession a runic array that he has been informed confers immunity to the_ Imperius _field and will willingly let it be copied in exchange for refuge and a chance to strike back against his father.  
_ _Please respond quickly, time is of the essence._

_Severus Snape.  
_ _Draco Malfoy._

Albus lowered the letter, his brows furrowing, then he stood, spun on his heel and vanished with only a _pop_ of displaced air.

.

"…could be a trap!"

"A trap?" Sirius chortled. "Please. _Luscious_ has the whole damned planet falling under his spell, why in the name of Merlin's beard would he risk his son in a trap when he could simply send up all of the NASA spacecraft with orders to destroy our domes by ramming us?"

Remus opened his mouth to retort, then he suddenly looked thoughtful and sat down again.

"I think the question is, can we afford to _not_ bring them here?" Nicolas Flamel asked, attracting everyone's attention. "Even with _my_ knowledge, decoding the arithmatic signature of that spell is no easy feat. Having the runic array that counters it, even if only partially so, will let me approach this problem from a new direction. Combined with the readings we have so far, I believe that I will be able to simulate and deconstruct that spell."

"I agree." Ahsoka said, turning to the second-oldest man in the room. "Albus, may we borrow Fawkes to send a message? I know just how to get them up here…"

.

Draco stared at the message that his godfather was holding, uncertain as to whether to take the instructions seriously or not.

"The… _Ravenclaw_ Lord's quarters? Why not the Slytherin? At least it isn't the Gryffindor one…"

"Harry Potter-Tano used those quarters while he was here." Snape said thoughtfully. "Perhaps there's a secret portkey or something hidden there. Regardless, we shall not find out what this is about by sitting here."

Draco nodded and rose from his seat, following Snape. As they walked, he decided to ask the question that had been bothering him since the first day of school, when he had seen Snape in his teachers robes.

"Uncle Severus, just how _do_ you get those robes to billow like that?"

"Lord Potter asked me the same thing after the troll incident." Severus smirked. "I shall give you the same answer that I gave him. Practice."

Draco gave him a look that included both humor and irritation. Snape returned it with a superior smirk, then exhaled.

"Posture, Draco. Posture is the main thing. The fabric is important in _how_ the robe billows, but without the correct posture, the billowing effect is soon lost and becomes little more than a slight swaying of the robes."

Draco nodded slowly.

"No wonder everyone failed in looking for the spells they thought you used to do that."

Snape smirked slightly as the duo ascended the stairs.

.

"Wow, these are nice quarters." Draco said looking round.

"Slytherin has similar ones." Snape shrugged. "Alright, start looking around for anything that… what the?!"

A trio of armoured figures piled out from the main bedroom without warning. The largest grabbed Draco and slung him over his shoulder while the other two grabbed Snape and hustled him back into the main bedroom, diving into the wardrobe with him…

Draco gasped as they emerged into a small high-walled room with stairs going up one wall. The man carrying him lowered him to the ground and quickly frisked him, taking his wand and placing it in a small, padded box.

"Professor Snape, Scion Malfoy." A familiar voice said and Draco spun to see a very familiar-looking brunette standing on the bottom step.

"Miss Granger." Snape identified her. "I see that you are well."

"I am here to escort you both to the Council Chamber." Hermione replied. "Please, follow me."

"A Rune Door disguised as a wardrobe." Draco marvelled, glancing back to see a heavy barricade slide into position to block the Door they had just traversed. "How did you come up with that idea?"

"A story called _The lion, the witch and the wardrobe_ was the inspiration." Hermione shrugged. "If you want, I can get you a copy of the book series later."

"A wardrobe." Draco marveled. "Incredible… what?"

Draco barely managed to avoid plowing into Snape, who had stopped at the top of the staircase. Looking round him, Draco's eyes widened at the view through the large dome and the odd green-blue-white sphere hanging just above the horizon.

"Merlin…" Snape breathed almost reverently. "We're actually on the moon!"

"What?!"

"You are indeed." Hermione smiled. "We found that the range on the Rune Doors was enough to let us relocate the Alliance Concourse here, rendering it immune from most attacks. Admittedly, we had to sacrifice the Longbottom Door as a group tried to attack through it, but since all the Doors are equipped with spells to destroy them if needed…"

"You have really put put some thought into this." Snape said in an approving tone and Hermione shrugged.

"Well, it was Lily Potter who first created those Doors, the rest of us just kind of ran with the idea."

Snape paused, then looked round.

"…thank you, Lily."

.

* * *

.

Draco slumped down into the surprisingly comfortable chair as Snape lowered himself with a great deal more dignity onto a matching one.

"Two aliens." Draco marveled. "Two!"

Snape simply looked at Draco.

"I don't know what father is planning, but if they found us, others might." Draco sighed. "If that Empire finds us… we _need_ to have our own space boats. Father may think that he can plan for large things, but one planet… compared to the ten thousand out amongst the stars… Dammit, we _need_ people to be able to think for themselves, otherwise we'll just get swallowed up!"

"And what do you intend to do?" Snape asked curiously. Draco sighed and rubbed at his forehead.

"You mean what do I intend to do to help destroy that abomination that father had built, or after we've liberated the Earth?"

Snape raised one eyebrow slightly, causing Draco to sigh again.

"Flamel's copied the runes and is doing merlin-knows-what with them, that part I can't do anything else with. Sirius has promised to get someone to train me in using the wolfalorian spell-guns tomorrow. I fully intend to go with them when they attack… actually, on second thought, ambushing my father when he tries to escape would be better. And afterwards? I'll almost certainly be Lord Malfoy, so I'll _use_ that by publicly joining the Potter Alliance and investing in WolfTech. Beyond that… I'll see when I've had a chance to do more research."

"One thing, Draco." Severus said, looking sharply at his godson. "I think that you should wear more… appropriate clothing if you are going to undertake your planned energetic activities."

"What?" Draco said in confusion as he looked at his trousers. "What's wrong with these?"

"Tanned Hungarian Horntail hide is not very flexible." Snape sighed. "There _is_ a reason that duelists don't use it despite its protective properties, after all."

.

Draco held the odd device in his hands as the Wolfalorian, who had introduced himself as Nara Hu, explained its functions.

"…and you can use the thumb selector to choose the spells you wish to fire. In training mode, you have a choice of color-change, sting or _stupify. W_ hile in combat you can have slicing, _bombarda_ , _stupify_ or alternating, which cycles between the three spells. Try it out, set it to _bombarda_ and fire it at those targets like I showed you."

Draco slowly lifted the rifle, pressing the stock to his shoulder and peering through the targeting scope. Bringing one of the targets into his sights, he took a deep breath and pulled the trigger.

The target exploded.

"Whoah!"

"Not bad, kid." Hu said in a congratulatory tone of voice. "Try on the other targets."

Grinning, Draco swung the rifle slightly and pulled the trigger again, causing a second target to explode, then a third and then a fourth.

"This is brilliant!" He half-shouted, completely forgetting his normal superior poise. "I _love_ this!"

Hu gave a small smile as Draco engaged a second group of targets, whooping and hollering with joy.

.

* * *

.

Nicolas Flamel placed the leather circlet on the table with great ceremony as the assembled group looked at it.

"Thanks to Scion Malfoy," Nicolas began, nodding to Draco who swelled slightly with self-importance, "I was able to fully analyse the field covering the Earth. And I have found a problem with it."

The silence in the room was so intense that a dropped knut would have sounded deafening.

"The version of the _Imperius_ used has an unfortunate side-effect. Within a month of the field reaching full strength, the effect will be permanent, even if the field fails. Furthermore, it would seem that Draco's runic array wasn't quite what he was told it was."

Draco frowned as he rolled his sleeve up and stared at the tattoos on his arm.

"While they do indeed protect him from the field to a degree and let him command those without the runes, the runes themselves subordinate him to the one with the master control runes, Lucius Malfoy. This means that to Lucius, there is no difference between those _with_ the runic arrays and those without, he can command both equally."

Draco's expression was a mixture of shock, betrayal, outrage and rising fury.

"This means that we need to destroy the field generator within the next three weeks if we are to free the Earth from being permanently enslaved."

"Damn him!" Draco yelled. "Damn his soul to the Dementor's kiss! He _told_ me that I would share in his power, but he lied to me! He turned me into just another merlin-damned puppet for him to play with! His own son!"

For a long moment, everyone stared at Draco until he took a deep, jagged breath.

"Sorry. I'm still furious, but I'll keep it under control. _That man_ is _not_ my father."

Another silence was his answer, a silence broken by Nicolas' cough.

"Anyway, since military planning is not my forte, I passed it over to the Wolfalorians. Watt?"

One of the armoured figures stepped forwards and removed his helmet, revealing a slightly scarred bald man.

"Theophilus Watt, my father was a soldier and he trained me in strategy and tactics."

"Aren't they the same thing?" Draco asked in confusion and Watt shook his head.

"Tactics are what you use to win a battle. Strategy is what you use to win a war. Our target is simple, Stonehenge."

As he spoke, an image appeared of the cluster of monoliths in question.

"We cannot use orbital bombardment since Stonehenge is surrounded by mind-controlled military personnel while a shield almost as strong as one of our Geodesic Shields protects it from aerial assault. The few recon flights we have managed to complete have shown that the protective shield is projected from these six points on the perimeter. Given the type of shield, it should fail once four of those points are destroyed . Once that is done, we can use bombardment tactics to collapse the structure, ending the threat.  
"Our final staging post is just here, east of Stonehenge and behind the small copse of wood. The ridge will give us some cover as our ground forces attack. We will set our guns onto stun to try an minimise casualties. The Jedi and several Rangers will provide top cover in their new Fanblades and Delta-6's respectively, targeting enemy aircraft and heavy vehicles. Should they find themselves in position, they will also target the shield projectors.  
"The mission of the ground forces is to destroy the shield generators and then fall back. Using our wolfshapes, the Wolfalorians will lead the dawn assault, using the rising sun to hide our infiltration of their position. To get there, though, we need to go in fast and low. For that, we'll fly up the Channel and turn inland just prior to the Isle of Wight, passing over Bolton-on-sea at rooftop height…"


	27. Assault

Harry reached up and flipped the engine switches mounted above his left shoulder. A thrumming of power caused the spherical-canopied starfighter to shiver slightly as the thrust vectrals swung from side to side in response to his test. A few more switches began charging up the laser cannon capacitors and activated the navigation and targeting systems. Green lights started to glow as various systems reported that they were running how they should be.

" _This is Snips. All units report status."_ Ahsoka said across the comm.

" _Snips?"_ Abraham asked in disbelief and Harry could almost _feel_ Ahsoka's blush.

" _Skyguy always called me that…"_

" _He did."_ Asajj confirmed. _"Blade Two, callsign Fury, all systems are go. And remind me to thank Flamel again for that language spell of his."_

"Blade three, callsign Bolt." Harry said, one hand briefly tracing the faded lightning-bolt scar on his forehead. "All systems are nominal."

" _Blade four, callsign Bookworm."_ Hermione's voice stated. _"All systems are reading at full."_

" _Blade five, callsign Moonlight."_ Luna said, her voice showing that she was fully focused, unlike normal. _"All lights are green and I'm ready to launch."_

" _Blade six, Blades."_ Abraham Black commed. _"Green and ready."_

" _Blade seven, callsign Seeker."_ Came Nicola Atorio's voice. _"Ditto and ditto."_

" _Blade eight, callsign Healer, repoting all systems are good."_ Will Atorio finished.

For a long moment, everyone remained silent, then Ahsoka spoke again.

" _The_ Narec's Memory _and the_ Pack Runner _have launched."_ Ahsoka said as the blast door in front of them retracted to reveal the stars. _"The Rangers have also launched and will rendezvous with the ships. Once it has unloaded, the junior members will cover the_ Pack Runner _as it returns here."_

" _Minimizing the risk to them while giving them flight time."_ Asajj said approvingly. _"Ready to launch."_

" _Confirmed, Blade Squadron, launch!"_

Harry used his left hand to adjust the repulsorlifts, causing his Ginivex/m-class starfighter to rise up. Using his natural flying skills, he slowly pushed the throttle forwards, flying his Fanblade out of the hangar without any pitching or yawing.

" _Show-off."_ Hermione laughed as she pulled up beside him. Harry glanced across and stuck his tongue out at her, causing her to laugh again. As the moon's surface fell away from them, Harry flicked a switch and the solar sail unfolded into its classic semi-circular position with his cockpit just forwards of the midpoint. A moment later, the other Fanblades started to open their sails and the squadron accelerated rapidly towards the brighter stars of the two starships carrying the assault group. As they headed towards them, they were joined by two squadrons of arrowhead-shaped Delta-6 fighters.

" _This is Padfoot calling Snips, Marauder Squadron is ready to cover the_ Narec's Memory _."_

" _This is Quill."_ Percy Weasley said, his voice reflecting his pride at being selected as a squadron leader, even if his squadron was significantly under-strength. _"Nothing shall damage the_ Pack Runner _as long as Red Squadron have anything to say about it."_

A small chime sounded, alerting Harry to a private-channel request and he tapped a button to accept.

"Bolt here."

" _Bolt, it's Sparkplug."_ Ginny's voice said and Harry smiled.

"Your first spaceflight." He teased and Ginny snorted.

" _I just wish I could fight alongside you. I know that it's a miracle that Sirius and Remus persuaded mum to let us come even as far as the first drop-off point, but…"_

"I know." Harry said, glancing ahead at the two starships and the Earth beyond them. "Molly's doing a good job on flying the _Memory_."

" _Where do you think we inherited our flying skills from?"_ Ginny asked and Harry's eyebrows shot up.

"I… hadn't really thought about it."

" _Oh, dad's not bad on a broom, but mum was born a Prewett and they were renowned for their flying skills. Her grandpa was one of the best professional Seekers of all time."_

"Wow." Harry managed.

For several moments, neither of them spoke, then Ginny sighed.

" _It's amazing."_

"What is?"

" _Earth. How it looks from here."_

Harry nodded as Ginny's fighter started a slow barrel roll. The Earth was growing and the positioning of her cockpit meant that while she could still see most of the Earth, she couldn't see it all without changing course or rolling. While his spherical cockpit left him feeling almost uncomfortably exposed, the visual advantages of almost 360 degree vision and the projected readouts on the canopy gave him a far better sense of situational awareness.

And the view was just awesome.

If he survived, he was _so_ keeping this sweet little craft.

" _It looks like someone scattered a load of glowing gems down a well."_ Ginny finally said and Harry nodded.

"I agree. It's beautiful."

" _It's so big."_ Ginny sighed. _"It's just…"_

Ginny trailed off and Harry nodded. "I know, Ginny. I know."

.

* * *

.

" _Entering the atmosphere, set your deflectors forwards."_

Harry flicked a three-position switch upwards, noting the shield readout didn't change due to it being at full power already. With the active system now set, the aft shields would supply their power as needed to the forward shields to replenish them.

" _All pilots prepare for turbulence and plasma shock."_ Ahsoka continued. _"We're going in hot and low."_

A wave of confirmations sounded through the command Harry looked ahead at the growing sphere that filled his forward view.

"This is going to be fun." He grinned wryly.

.

Lucius Malfoy sat up in his bed, ignoring the half-asleep protests of his wife and the first two mistresses of his planned Harem, as one of his newest aides, a military muggle, entered the room.

"Sir, satellite recon indicates multiple craft of varying sizes have entered the atmosphere and are descending to a point south-west of Land's End."

Lucius frowned. By judicious use of his control runes, he had seized covert control of the United Kingdom, making Parliament and all the armed forces answer to him. He had learned several lessons from that and was looking forwards to trying it on America next, then all the other countries until he had the entire world answering to him.

And now something was happening.

"Prepare the Armed Forces to defend and raise the alert level." Lucius decided as he slid out of bed, pausing only to replace the sheet over his three ladies, hiding them from the muggles' sight. "I want the intruders destroyed as soon as possible. Wipe them out. All of them."

"As you command." The muggle responded, then he turned and strode out to follow his orders. Lucius sighed and half-turned to see that all three had woken and were watching him.

"Robe me." He ordered and all three rose from the bed to follow his order, ignoring their nudity as they did so.

Lucius sighed as his wife returned with his undergarments. His plans of exploring his newest acquisitions looked like it was going to be delayed.

Dammit.

.

The near-silence of the ocean was suddenly broken by the howling whines of over two-dozen craft of various sizes swooping down through the clouds in a dive and then arcing to fly barely a hundred meters above the ocean. The largest craft pulled up slightly as the two rows of hatches opened.

" _Launching now!"_

The hatches disgorged their contents, starting with the aft and moving forwards in pairs. Four LAAT/v's holding AT-TE/m's were the first to deploy, then sixteen LAAT/m's joined them as the largest craft closed its hatches and arced back towards space along with eight of the Delta-6s. The remaining craft moved in closer to the _Narec's Memory_ with the LAAT varients forming the inner ring, the twelve Delta-6s the middle ring and the eight Fanblades spreading out ahead to engage anything trying to intercept. As they did so, the craft dropped so that they were flying barely a dozen meters above the water, the waves blurring past underneath.

"Obstacle, freighter!" Harry snapped, rolling his Fanblade so that the extended airfoil was parallel to the sea below as he passed over the cargo ship, missing the containers stacked on its deck by only a meter. Glancing upwards, he caught a glimpse of a wide-eyed helmsman before the ship vanished behind him and he finished his roll back to the proper orientation. Glancing at the rear-view monitor, he saw the _Narec's Memory_ pull up slightly while its escorts swarmed over and round the freighter before resuming their formation.

" _That was close."_ Sirius broadcast as the ship vanished beyond the horizon.

.

Lucius appeared in the primary control room of the UK Armed Forces with a _crack_ of displaced air and stepped down from the newly-installed Apparition platform, looking up at the massive screen on which a map of England and all around it for a hundred miles was displayed. A flashing dot moving into the mouth of the channel caught his attention.

"Sir." Said one of the military people and Lucius looked at him, wishing that he'd made the time to at least familiarize himself with proper military ranks when he had imprinted the orders into them. "We have a preliminary force breakdown. We have twenty unknown fighter planes in two variants, sixteen larties, four loaded lartvees and a large vessel of unknown type. Current course gives a high probability that their target is London."

Lucius frowned. Although he wouldn't be upset if the damned Goblins were destroyed by the attackers, the loss of Diagon Alley and the Gringotts Concourse would prove rather irritating from a logistics viewpoint whilst the files in the Ministry of Magic were virtually irreplaceable.

"Get as much of the armed forces as possible to London to intercept the unknown attackers." He ordered, pushing a little bit of magic into his runic tattoos to ensure that his orders would be obeyed. "Do not take use of the Stonehenge forces, however."

"As you command." The man said and strode off, snapping orders. Lucius watched him go and absent-mindedly accepted a cup. Raising it to his lips, he almost choked at the bitter liquid in it.

"Gruurgh! What _is_ this stuff?"

"Coffee, sir. Brewed strong."

Lucius stared at the brown liquid suspiciously. No wonder muggles were so prone to violence if they had to drink _that_ stuff.

.

Harry looked to his right as the Channel Islands, backdropped by France, slid past, then he turned to look to his left.

"Shame that we can't see the cove from here." He said wistfully.

" _Once this is all over, I think everyone deserves a vacation."_ Ahsoka commed and Harry smiled.

"Yeah, I miss the Cove Cave." Harry sighed. "I really enjoyed our time there, learning the ways of the Jedi on the beach."

" _All units, this is Wolfden."_ A new voice said and Harry's attention snapped back to the comm. _"Satellite recon is showing significant movement of military forces towards London. Reason unknown at this point."_

" _Interesting."_ Ahsoka mused. _"They must think we're trying to hit the capital for some reason."_

" _Once we change course, they'll figure out their mistake, but we're only twenty minutes from our target at our current speed."_ Hermione said. _"I don't care how fast they react, with most of their personnel heading the wrong way, we'll only have to worry about the RAF and whatever's stationed at Stonehenge."_

" _Speaking of course changes, start banking."_ Ahsoka said and Harry eased very slightly to the left, following the pre-programmed flightpath projected on his canopy.

" _Ready for low-level flying."_ Sirius laughed as he eased his fighter even lower, causing the surface of the sea to ripple from the shock of his passage. _"Let's do this!"_

" _I thought we already were."_ Luna countered, causing several people to laugh as Sirius tried and failed to come up with a reply.

.

"Bogies have dropped below radar, we do not have a current fix on them." One of the soldiers said and the icon marking where the unknowns had been started to flash and blur, indicating that it was only an estimated location. Lucius frowned as he took another sip of the so-called coffee.

"Can we find them again?"

"We already have a pair of Harriers heading on an intercept course, sir. They'll establish visual lock and relay the co-ordin…hold on… status update! They've just flown through Bournemouth!"

The icon blinked out and reappeared, causing Lucius to choke on his drink.

"Sir, is something wrong?"

"Stonehenge!" Lucius managed to splutter. "They're going to attack Stonehenge! How in Merlin's name did they _know_?!"

"At current speeds, eta to Stonehenge is… eight minutes."

"Get everyone there!" Lucius shouted. "Protect the stones! Stop them!"

Lucius vanished with a _crack_ of inrushing air as the control room seemed to explode in a flurry of activity bordering on chaos as orders were sent, countermanded and re-issued.

.

The assault force sliced through the air barely above and, occasionally, between the buildings as they hurtled towards their target, then the Fanblades roared ahead, lasers blazing as the first planes of the RAF swooped in. The airfoil and jet-turbine agility of the planes proved insufficient when compared to the rune-enhanced agility of the Jedi-piloted craft and within seconds, the planes were falling wreckage, their pilots ejected, clearing the way to the final staging post.

.

Lucius appeared at the location of his greatest triumph.

"We're under attack!" He screamed.

.

The parson walked out of the side door of Salisbury Cathedral, looking at where the lighting of the sky indicated that dawn was not too far off. Taking a sip of his coffee, he frowned in thought. _Something_ strange had happened in the last few weeks, people were still going about their lives, but there was less… _spontaneity_. It was as if something was dampening their…

His thoughts came to a sudden halt as two things looking like giant paper fans with a sphere attached flew overhead, barely five meters above the ground as they vanished to his left with the wind of their passage almost knocking him over. Before he could recover, more things, this time looking like arrowheads roared past along with odd angular craft, at least two of which seemed to be carrying metal animals of some sort.

As the unknown craft vanished, the parson looked with suspicion at the cup of coffee in his hand, then with great deliberation, he extended his arm and poured the coffee down the drain.

That was it.

From this point on, he was sticking to tea.

.

Salisbury Cathedral receded into the background as the landscape scrolled past, seeming to unroll with the speed the craft were moving. Several icons caught Harry's attention.

"Bolt here, four more hostiles at eleven high."

" _Confirm, Bolt."_ Ahsoka said. _"Fury, take them down then rejoin us. Bolt, cover her."_

Harry pulled up, altering course to fall into formation with Asajj's Fanblade. A moment later, her lasers started firing, sending slicing and _bombarda_ blasts at the incoming craft. Harry glanced at his targeting screen, then fired several bursts that flew towards the incoming aircraft, then seemed to detonate in front of them.

" _Nice shooting."_ Asajj commented as one of the incoming aircraft spiraled down, one wing sheered off. _"Missiles can be really annoying."_

"Just wish that we had more so we could use them like they do." Harry said, glancing at his weapons readout. The missile launcher mounted at the base of the cockpit held three missiles ready to fire, but they needed to save them for the primary targets.

" _Last plane."_ Asajj said, jerking Harry out of his introspection. _"Snips, we're rejoining formation."_

" _Understood, Fury. Good job."_ Ahsoka replied.

.

The soldiers followed their orders in the dawnlight, moving to protect the odd crystalline structure that had seemed to fade into visibility but was now covered in an odd dome of rippling light. Under normal circumstances, the soldiers would have gaped at the bizarre sight, but with the field active, they simply followed their orders. The tanks, APC's and anti-air batteries pulled up in a ring of metal while the soldiers took position behind waist-high barricades of stone. Then in accordance with their orders, they waited.

.

" _Approaching target area."_

Harry nodded and eased the throttle further forwards, his eyes already fixed on the moving dots in the sky that were the RAF planes.

There were a _lot_ of them.

" _Force Squadron, go solo and clear the skies."_ Ahsoka ordered. _"Marauder squadron, shield the larties._ Memory _, drop your passengers, then cover the lartvees as they fall back to the pickup point. Let's go!"_

Harry pulled back on the control yoke, sending his Fanblade into a spiraling climb. _Reaching_ out with his senses, he fired a burst from his lasers, the spell-enhanced bolts impacting on a fighter and severing its tail, sending it into a spiraling spin towards the earth, then the skies erupted into a flickering web of laser and tracer fire as all the aircraft began their dangerous dance of death.

.

The ringing of the phone shattered the silence of the bedroom and a hand reached out from underneath the sheets, fumbling for a moment before grabbing the receiver and pulling it back under the blankets. For a few seconds, all was quiet, and then…

"WHAT!"

Margaret Thatcher sat straight up in her bed, her eyes wide. For the last few weeks, she'd noticed that her cabinet was getting less… fractious, that the Opposition wasn't taking as many of their politically-suicidal stances in an attempt to slow her down, even the French weren't being as obstreperous as normal, but…

"Say that again." She commanded and her brows furrowed as the voice at the other end repeated its message.

"And just _who_ gave the order to deploy?" She asked in a voice that could have frozen hydrogen. For a few more seconds, she waited, then she growled.

"And who the _hell_ is Lord Malfoy?! Find out what the hell is going on and report back to me!"

Maggie slammed the phone down and let out an aggravated sigh, then she turned and kissed the forehead of the other occupant of the bed.

"Sorry, Dennis, but something's come up again."

Dennis sat up and gave her a quick hug.

"I'll bring you some coffee once I'm up and dressed."

Maggie smiled even as she pulled open the drawers of her dressing table to grab some underwear.

.

"Stay low, stay low." Nara Hu whispered to himself as he piloted the _Narec's Memory_ towards the unloading point, the larties trailing behind.

Keeping below the ridgeline he banked the _Memory_ into a turn to bleed off speed even as he extended the landing gear and opened the hatches. A moment later, over a dozen BARC speeders spilled out from his cargo bays, racing off to distract and harass the defenders even as the main force prepared to disembark.

As his landing skids touched down, a veritable tide of fur intermixed with the occasional armoured figure flooded out as the Wolfalorians used their canine forms for greater speed, a wave also accompanied by several wizards on broomsticks, then the hatches were closing and Hu goosed the throttle, moving away from the area as the LAAT/v's, their cargo deployed, moved to flank his ship.

His job was done and the _Narec's Memory_ was far too valuable to have damaged if it could be avoided. After all, it still had the only functioning Hyperdrive in the entire solar system, something that would become vital when it was time to explore the rest of the galaxy and see if the Sith Empire was still a threat.

If it was… that could be troublesome.

.

Lucy Walker dived out from the Larty and sprinted into the wooded copse, unslinging her sniper rifle as she did so. Twigs snapping behind her marked the passage of her Themyscerans and she led them to the edge of the circular woodland area, pausing partially behind a tree as her visor automatically compensated for the increasing light.

"Three… no, _four_ tanks, they need taking out."

Two Themyscerans stepped forwards and settled onto one knee, each aiming their PLX launchers. The mass-acceleration runes on the barrels glowed slightly, then the missiles burst out of the tubes and raced towards their target while a low-level whirring indicated that new missiles were being placed in the tubes from the magically-expanded magazines. The missiles arced through the air and struck the tanks, exploding in a burst of brightly-colored sparks which apparently did nothing… until the tanks suddenly seemed to drop as their track wheels fell off and the guns fell from their trunnions.

"Disassembly spell payloads." Lucy grinned. "Love them… keep firing!"

Two more missiles hurtled towards their targets as the defenders woke up to the new dived for cover as the first barrage of bullets started chewing into the tree trunks, then the anti-air heavy machine guns tracked towards them.

"Shit! Take cover!"

.

With the soldiers concentrating their fire on the wooded copse to the east, very few of them managed to note the incoming furry tides from the north and south until the Wolfalorians flooded through their lines and reverted to their armoured forms, firing long bursts of stunning spells and causing confusion to ripple through the defending army in a manner similar to a wave through water. Within seconds, almost half of the soldiers were down, then the ones still able to fight rallied, pulling out pistols and knives as they turned against the unexpected attackers. More of the defenders fell to friendly fire as the wizards tasked with working alongside them started to fire combat spells almost indiscriminately into the melee, then the first AT-TE crested the hill, its turret already turning as it aimed its cannon at the magically-charged stone that was its target.

.

Lucy Walker hissed in pain as her team-mate removed her shoulder pauldron and cut open the underlayer. The bullet had passed straight through her left arm, shattering the bones. Suddenly the pain decreased and Lucy looked up to see the hooked-nosed figure of a dark-haired man doing something with a wand.

"God, I just _love_ magic." She gasped as the pain ebbed away and the man smirked slightly, then frowned.

"As you have no magic of your own, my healing spells are limited in what they can do. I've cleared out anything that could infect the wound, but…"

He paused as another person pushed past him and Lucy inhaled sharply as her arm stung.

"Bacta spray." The newcomer explained as she pulled out a roll of bandages and started to wrap Lucy's arm. "You'll need proper medical help afterwards, but this'll keep you alive for now."

Lucy nodded in gratitude and tentatively flexed her shoulder before retrieving her dropped rifle.

.

Lucius snarled as the second Runestone that supported the shield exploded. Although the muggle tanks were firing on the walking metal creatures who were hurling their projectiles with such accuracy, only one of the six-legged monstrosities had fallen to the fire, leaving three still moving and firing. Absently pausing to fire a cutting hex that decapitated an armoured figure, Lucius stroked the runic array on his arm.

"Anyone with heavy weapons and in position to use them, take out those walking things!" He snarled and the amount of fire heading out seemed to increase. Another walker stumbled, three of its legs blown off before the barrage of shells finally penetrated its incredibly tough armor, then an explosion and magical discharge marked the destruction of the _third_ Runestone.

"Damn them!" Lucius snarled, spinning to engage a trio of Lycans who were charging at him. "Damn them all!"

Two of the Lycans fell to his spells before they had a chance to resume their human shapes, but the third managed to change enough that Lucius' spells bounced off his armor. Leaping backwards to avoid the blade that extended from the Lycan's gauntlet, Lucius tripped and fell, feeling the blade slice into his leg before a series of _crack_ s sounded, then a muggle soldier was stood over him.

"He's dead, sir."

Lucius nodded and cast a spell to slice away the lower leg of his trousers, revealing the deep gouge exposing the bone. Gritting his teeth, he began a healing spell to close the wound, then a _fourth_ Runestone exploded and Malfoy snarled as the protective dome faded, only to reform as a barrage of missiles raced towards the crystalline spires.

"How?"

" _Secondary Runestones, my lord._ " Came a familiar voice and Lucius rose to his feet again as a cloaked figure appeared. " _They are nowhere near as strong as the primary Runestones since they are located_ inside _the shield, but…_ "

A series of explosions interrupted him and Lucius winced as a second barrage of missiles hit the new magical dome, leaving it noticeably dimmer.

"Oh, this is looking bad." Lucius whispered as a flight of eight Larties swooped past, making a high-speed strafing run on the dome with five of them surviving the anti-air fire long enough to pull away. "This is very bad…"

.

" _Message from central command, the assault has started."_

Holding tightly onto the hanging rack as the stealthed larty flew a nape-of-the-earth course, Draco nodded, his free hand absently stroking the sights of the magical assault rifle hanging by his hip.

""Excellent." He said with a slight smirk. "Good thing that this larty wasn't scrapped when you all pulled back to the moon."

"They'll never see us coming." Smirked one of the Wolfalorians sharing the compartment and Draco's own smirk turned almost feral.

"If I know my father, all of his escape plans revolve around reaching home first to grab whatever he thinks he needs in order to vanish." Draco mused.

"And we'll let him do the first step, but stop him before he can take the second." Another Wolfalorian gloated. Draco nodded and stroked his rifle again.

" _Approaching the co-ordinates of Malfoy Manor. What are your instructions, Commander Malfoy?"_

"Drop us off just outside the main gates, I'll open them and lead us in. Keep the larty in the air once we've debarked in case my _dear father_ tries to escape on a broom. If he does, stun him."

The larty tipped and Draco felt his weight seem to increase as the craft dropped to just above the ground, the door opening. Leaping out, he looked up at the intricate gates of the Manor's grounds.

"Home, sweet home." He muttered as he pressed the Heir's Ring to the main lock.

.

Albus sent his starfighter into a spiral and pressed the trigger, sending several bolts of light into the tail of the aircraft trying to shoot at his oldest (in more ways than one) living friend Flamel. The aircraft dived and an explosion launched the pilot out, his parachute opening as he fell. Breathing a sigh of relief that he had not killed his adversary, Albus pulled the nose of his starfighter up into a loop, looking round to see what was going on. Below, the final surviving AT-TE was retreating, its weapons firing at the remaining tanks that had taken down the other walkers. Several pyres littered the battlefield, wreckage of over a dozen planes, half the larties and four of the Deltas.

And the shield protecting the crystal structure, although faded and obviously barely functional, was still there.

A burst of light snapped him back to reality and Albus spun his craft into a climbing spiral even as he looked round for the source of the attack. An explosion to his right caused him to snap his head round, then a voice came over his intercomm.

" _Bad Penny to Old Pheonix, stop dreaming or your chicken won't be the only thing on fire!"_

Albus chuckled at Perenelle's irreverent statement. Had Fawkes been with him, the phoenix would have been quite indignant.

.

The stealthed LAAT/i pulled away as the gates to the Malfoy Mansion closed behind the party that had entered the grounds. Leading the squad of armoured warriors to the main door, Draco pushed it open and stepped inside, then halted as he came face-to-barely-covered-breasts with a woman he had never seen before.

"Who are you?"

"Draco?" A more familiar voice called and Narcissa appeared from another room, clad in an almost-transparent robe identical to the one worn by the mysterious woman. "I thought you were at school?"

Draco blinked as a _third_ woman came out of another room in response to the voices and walked towards them, but he recognised her. Judging from the muttered curses and gasps, so did the troopers behind him.

"Mother, why is Gwenog Jones here?"

Narcissa smiled fondly as she glanced at the dark-skinned woman. "Why, my new sister agreed to be Lucius's second concubine."

Draco's eyes widened. His mother would _never_ have agreed to share Lucius, let alone allow him to take concubines. In fact, she would have killed him had he even suggested such a thing.

"And you are..?" Draco managed and the unknown lady smiled.

"Celestine Warbeck,it's an honor to meet you."

"The _Singing Sourceress_?" One of the Wolfalorians burst out before silencing himself. Draco nodded and then fired his rifle three times, stunning the three women.

"My father will pay for this." He snarled. "He is going to wish he was dead!"

"What shall we do with them?"

Draco sighed. "If my father hasn't changed things too much, there will be… wait. Dobby!"

A small pop heralded the appearance of the Malfoy House Elf.

"Dobby, please take my mother and the other two and place them on the settees in the sitting room. Make sure you cover them with a blanket each."

"Yes, young master, Dobby will do that." Dobby said quietly, then he vanished, as did the three women. Draco nodded to one of the female Wolfalorians.

"The sitting room is over there. Can you please watch over them? And if they wake before the field falls, you may need to stun them again."

"Of course, sir."

.

Lucius snarled as the last AT-TE, sliding backwards in a way that didn't use its legs as much as expected, managed to crest the ridgeline and vanish from sight. Although three of the metal monstrosities were twisted piles of burning wreckage, the damage that they had achieved as almost catastrophic with only four of his twenty-three tanks remaining intact.

The roaring of three sets of anti-air cannons interrupted his thoughts and Lucius smirked as one of the flying fans seemed to stagger, its lower sail ripped to shreds, then its cockpit shattered and a figure dropped, a blade of light appearing in its hand as it angled towards the cannons that had destroyed its craft. Before Lucius could snap out any orders, though, he had to dive sideways as a stream of high-powered curses slashed a line towards him, throwing up large chunks of earth and stone. A moment later, two of the arrowhead fighters flashed past and one of them juddered as the anti-air fire raked its belly, but it kept flying.

Lucius snarled again and grabbed for the portkey hidden in his robes.

After all, he was not one to ride a plan down in flames for anyone, not even himself.

.

Remus gasped for breath as he scythed the fire from his Z-6 all round him, forcing the soldiers that had managed to rally enough for a counterattack into cover. Ignoring the bullets that _crack_ ed past or the way that one of the bullets had shattered the left cheek of his helmet, causing several cuts in the process, he concentrated on keeping the defenders suppressed and distracted long enough for his fellow Wolfalorians to…

There.

Remus halted his attack and breathed a sigh of relief as the four surviving Wolfalorians of the twenty who had charged the redoubt waved in victory amongst the bodies of the stunned defenders. Behind them, the anti-air unit that they had been trying to reach was silent with only the brief flicker of a lightsaber-wielding shape hinting at what had happened.

"Alright." Remus gasped. "Let's regroup and move out."

.

Sirius hit the eject button and grunted as the sudden acceleration tried to shorten his spine. Spinning through the air, he activated the runic shield just in time to protect himself from the fireball of his starfighter and the cluster of anti-air vehicles that had shot him down, then he pulled at his straps as his chair landed on the ground. Wriggling free, he reached for his pistol, then froze as he realized that he had landed in the middle of a platoon of soldiers, all of whom were pointing weapons his way.

"Oh hell. Ummm, take me to your leader?"

The brief pause caused by the sheer unexpectedness of his comment was just enough time and Sirius took his dog form faster than he had ever done before, dashing straight into the group of soldiers so that they could not open fire without hitting each other.

.

"How in the name of the Sith is that shield still staying up?" Asajj swore as her final missile slammed into the misty dome, almost breaking through before detonating. The shield flickered again, becoming even more transparent, but it didn't fall.

" _Fury to Snips, I'm out of missiles."_

"Dammit!" Ahsoka swore as another missile impacted on the shield, weakening it further but not enough. "How in the name of the Sith do we get through that damned thing?"

" _This is Bolt, Phoenix has been hit!"_ Harry's panicked voice broke in and Ahsoka gasped in shock, then she saw the shield flicker before her danger sense _spiked_ , causing her to spin into a diving spiral as several rows of bullets intersected at the space that she would have been had she not dodged.

"The shield is almost down!" She shouted. "Does anyone have any missiles left?"

.

Albus fought against the pain that wracked his body. By some miracle, the communicator still worked and he managed to tap the button that activated the microphone.

"… _anyone have any missiles left?"_ Ahsoka shouted and Albus glanced across to see her craft seeming to dance between the lines of tracers fired from the three Harrier jets pursuing her.

"Old Phoenix here." Albus managed to keep most of the pain out of his voice. "Making final run now."

Pulling on the stick and pushing the pedals despite the slipperyness of his blood coating them, Albus rolled his craft and pushed the throttle forwards. The shattered hull plating started to vibrate, then a piece tore off in the slipstream.

" _Albus, you're too damaged."_ Harry's voice snapped. _"I can see your magazine through the hull, you have no missiles, I repeat,_ no _missiles!"_

"I am well aware of that, my boy." Albus chuckled, then he winced as another burst of agony lanced through him, briefly causing the world to fade. "I need you to... to cover me…"

For a long moment, Harry remained silent, then he spoke, his voice firm.

" _I… understand. May the Force be with you."_

Albus nodded, despite the fact that Harry could not see him, then looked ahead at the lines of tracers coming towards him, trying to knock him out of the skies.

"Perhaps…"

Albus pulled his wand out of his sleeve. If he wasn't dying, he would never have tried it with his magic fading along with his life, but everything rode on him now.

" _EXPECTO PATRONUM!_ "

.

Harry's Fanblade sliced through the air, cannons firing alternating slicing and bombardment bolts at the trio of planes lining up to shoot at Albus' damaged fighter. The first plane spiraled out of control with its tail missing and Harry caught a glimpse of someone ejecting before he lined up on the second. As that fell, the third managed to fire a missile that raced towards Albus' craft…  
…only to explode harmlessly as the craft was engulfed by a giant bird of silvery light. Harry gaped as the bird seemed to pulse, sending a massive wave of magic out. Even inside the shielded cockpit of his starfighter, Harry could _feel_ the magic temporarily interrupting the local _Imperious_ field and the defensive fire from around Stonehenge slackened as the soldiers realized that something was wrong.

The pause was short, no more than a few seconds.

But it was enough.

.

Albus could feel his life-force draining to power his spell as the crystalline array rapidly grew in front of him. The few bullets that found his craft were deflected by his Patronus and his vision blurred.

" _You can do it."_

Albus blinked and found himself looking at a young teenagers face, a heartbreakingly familiar one. One that had been the reason for the path his life had taken.

A face whose death he blamed himself every day for.

"Ariana?"

The girl smiled at him and Albus felt the pain stabbing through his body seem to fade away.

"Are… you real?"

" _Come to me, brother. I've been waiting for you."_

Albus blinked the tears from his eyes.

"I… I… can you ever forgive me?"

" _I never blamed you."_ Ariana replied and she stretched out her hand. _"Brother, I never blamed you."_

Albus reached out his hand and felt Ariana grasp it. The world went white, then misty grey, a mist which slowly lifted.

"Hogwarts?" Albus whispered. "But… how?"

"You have always been here." Ariana said. "Will you show it to me?"

"Of course I will." Albus choked,then he felt a gentle hand wipe his tears away.

"Don't cry." Ariana said, looking up at him. "This is an adventure! You shouldn't cry on an adventure."

"Yes." Albus murmured, then he took a deep breath. "Yes, this is our next great adventure."

Together, the aged wizard and his young sister walked towards Hogwarts, arm in arm for the first time in over a century, reunited once more.

.

Ahsoka's eyes widened as the giant magical phoenix sliced straight though the shield as if it was merely a sheet of paper, then a blast of magic erupted creating a glowing shockwave that spread in all directions faster than even a Fanblade could fly, leaving only a feeling of peace and tranquility behind.

.

Margaret Thatcher jolted as the magic passed through her, visible even to her totally unmagical eyes.

"What was _that_?"

.

Draco spun round, rifle poised, then he relaxed with a wide smile.

"They did it!"

"Draco?" The bemused voice of his mother asked. "Why did you… what the?!"

Draco would later admit that he had no recollection of moving, nor of raising and firing his rifle, but to his dying day he would remember standing over the stunned form of his father with a fierce satisfaction.

"Where did he come from?" One of the Wolfalorians asked and Draco kicked a familiar trinket away from his father's outflung hand.

"Portkey. Father always carries one, as do my mother and myself."

"Damn." Came the impressed reply. "You have the reflexes, the paranoia… all you need to do is become a wolf animagus and you can join us."

Draco blinked. "We'll see." He managed.

"What the blazes is going on?" Gwenog shouted as she lunged off her settee in fury.

.

At Hogwarts, Minerva McGonogall stiffened as the wave of magic crashed through her, then her eyes widened.

"Merlin!" She gasped. "That felt like the _Imperio_ curse being lifted, only different."

" _It was."_ A heartbreakingly familiar voice said and Minerva's heart seemed to freeze as the ghost of Albus Dumbledore, accompanied by a young woman she didn't recognize, walked into her office.

"Albus…?"

" _I came to say goodbye, and to thank you."_ Albus said serenely. _"I never told you just how much I relied on you when I was alive, for which I apologize."_

Minerva blinked several times as the office seemed to blur around her.

"Are you…?"

" _Moving onto our next great adventure."_ Albus said, smiling at the younger woman by his side. _"We've already said goodbye to Aberforth for now, but it's almost time for us to be on our way. I wish you a long life, Minerva, a long and happy one, and when the time comes, I'll be waiting for you. Just don't make it too soon or I'll be very disappointed in you."_

Minerva chuckled weakly as Albus winked, then the two ghosts seemed to fade away. A moment later, the walls seemed to rustle and Minerva turned to see a new portrait appear, its occupant yet to awaken.

"Albus…" She whispered, her voice clogged with emotion.


	28. Outcomes

Ellis Island was crowded with representatives from every single country in the world, both mundane and magical. The Statue of Liberty was visible, but the iconic torch flame had, for that particular meeting, been replaced with a holographic projector that sent a blade of golden light twenty meters into the air, giving the statue the appearance of being a Jedi.

On the stage, President Bush was finishing his speech.

"…and so we are gathered here today to find a new way for us all. No more must magic and mundane be separate worlds as Malfoy has proven that it leads to disaster! We must learn to live together, to work together and to become one people once more!"

As the applause sounded, Bush nodded and stepped back, motioning for someone to join him and Harry, watching from the special platform reserved for the Jedi and their allies, smiled as a familiar cloaked figure took the podium, standing silently for a moment before it lowered its hood, revealing the alien features of Ahsoka Tano.

"My name is Ahsoka Tano and, as far as I am aware, I am the first who was not born on this world who has set foot upon it." She began. "I am not, however, the only one. Another arrived before the crisis that engulfed us all, and in doing so, she demonstrated that your… that _our_ world will one day be found by those who live amongst the stars.  
"As many of you know, I am a Jedi. I was once part of a great Jedi Order, consisting of thousands of those like myself, of every race, color, gender and biology, united by the Force and the desire to provide aid and protection to all those who needed and requested it. The other Jedi may be gone, slain by treason and treachery, but so long as I live, so does the Jedi Order, even though it consists of myself, my son and my other three surviving apprentices. I have brought the technology of the Old Republic here that you, the people of Earth, may one day reach for the stars and bring freedom and hope to those who are oppressed.  
"Towards that end, the Jedi declare ourselves neutral. We will not interfere in any internal affairs of any country unless asked to by the legitimate government, although we will help with mediating talks between them and will stand against any attempt to seize another land by force or trickery as we did one week ago. Instead, we shall watch the skies for you. The Temple is almost completed and those who wish to become Jedi and have the Force will be welcome amongst our numbers. For those who wish to aid us, we have as our allies the Wolfalorians, the Rangers and now the Themyscerans, all of whom have their own lunar domes.  
"I am aware that the changes that you have all seen, the hidden truths that have been revealed, must seem terrifying to many of you, but those truths were always there, it is simply that you have become aware of them. I ask that you take the time to think before you act, that you do not let emotion rule you. It does not matter whether someone has magic, if they can touch the Force, if they have abilities that seem strange and dire to you. We are all sentient beings, and it is as one sentient to another that I ask you, stay your hand for now…

.

"Trial is now in session, all the governments of the world against Lucius Malfoy." The center judge droned and from the defendant's box, Lucius snarled as he tried to divest himself of the cuffs that were draining his magic from him.

"You can't do this to me! You're muggles, you're not _allowed_ to put me on trial!"

"Your actions affected the whole world and destroyed your precious Statute of Secrecy, thereby giving us the right to try you." The leftmost judge shot back. "You stand accused of mass mind-control, attempted slavery of free people, the illegal use of the _Imperious_ curse, treason against the mundane government of England, treason against the magical government of England…"

"Damn you!" Lucius screamed, his self-composure vanished as the enormity of his failure finally crashed in on him through his shield of denial. "Damn you all!"

.

"…and thus it is without any further ado that I hereby tender my resignation as Minister of Magic." Ladon Greengrass said with quiet dignity, looking up at the serried ranks of the Wizengamot. "I let myself be manipulated and controlled in the name of sending our world back to the most restrictive eras of our history, a plan which I approved of at the time. I failed to realize that the plan only benefited those with wealth and power, whereas as Minister of Magic, it was my duty… my _responsibility_ to look out for _all_ of Wizardkind. A responsibility that I failed to recognize or fulfill."

The silence that held everyone, even the audience in the viewing galleries, was so intense that an observer might have understandably mistaken it for being caused by a spell. For a moment, Ladon seemed to shrink slightly, but then he inhaled deeply and drew himself up once more.

"Even as we speak, Lucius Malfoy, once Lord Malfoy of House Malfoy, is beginning his lifetime jail sentence in a muggle jail, his magic bound for the rest of his life. I fully expect to join him as once this session is over, I am going to hand myself over to the muggle Aurors known as Interpol to be judged by those that my negligence and pride caused to be enslaved by that vile device. I do not expect to ever set foot in Wizarding Britain again, but I go willingly as I must pay for my own failings.  
"As my last act as Minister of Magic, I hereby strike from the rulebook all of the laws that have been passed since my investiture as the Minister of Magic and reinstate all the laws that were passed before my investiture, but which were struck down during my term . I also recommend the following for consideration for the Order of Merlin. Draco Malfoy, for his courage in standing against his father when standing with him would have guaranteed him whatever he wanted. Albus Dumbledore, whose sacrifice saved us all. Ahsoka Tano, who led the combined Jedi and Wolfalorian forces to victory over Lucius Malfoy's forces. Lord Sirius Black who despite taking grievous injuries when his fighter was shot down, managed to save the lives of over a dozen of his warriors…"

.

"Harry?"

Harry glanced back to his mother who was walking towards him across the freshly-laid grass of the Memorial Dome, the newest and largest of the lunar Domes, spanning two miles. Reaching the stairs, she walked up them onto the central dias and joined Harry in looking out at the Earth just above the horizon, then her gaze tracked up towards one of the large, floating platforms linked with walkways far above.

"You came to pay your respects?"

Harry nodded. Abraham Black had died during the final battle,selling his life dearly to protect his allies, as had Nicola Atorio and both were now immortalized in the form of holo-portraits on one of the platforms. Another platform held the holo-portraits of the many Wolfalorians who had given their lives to help destroy the crystalline structure that had held the Earth in slavery and a third was for the Rangers while the Themyscerans had their own memorial platform where images of their leader and the three others who had given their lives were displayed.

The Wizards had chosen to create a memorial park for the fallen wizards between Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, one centered around a statue of Albus Dumbledore.

"It will take a long time for things to calm down." Ahsoka said quietly. "And even longer before we can go looking for the Sith amongst the stars."

"But everyone now knows that they're out there." Harry countered as his mother wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders. "It may take years for the new Earth Alliance to be finalised, it'll take decades to build enough ships and forts to secure Earth and the colonies we will create before we set out to rebuild the Old Republic and the Jedi Order, but we will do it."

"We will, no matter how long it takes." Ahsoka confirmed.

.

* * *

.

"…and the United States hereby withdraws from NATO from this day forth." President Bush said, the camera lights almost removing the need for the banks of illumination focused upon him. "With the _proof_ that we are no longer alone in the universe and the knowledge that more will come, both as friends and as enemies, America hereby places itself in readiness for that day. America, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand have all consented to the creation of a _new_ polity, a union of countries joined in defence of the entire planet, an alliance not just of the countries of Earth, but the countries that will be founded on Mars and, once it has been terraformed, Venus. The continent of Ishtar Terra has been ceded to and split between the Wolfalorians and the Jedi to act as their new homelands once the planet has been rendered habitable."

A sussuration swept the hall and Bush held up a hand to regain their attention.

"We estimate that it will take at least a decade to achieve that, even with the assistance of volunteers from the magical community. In addition, we will be setting up domes on Mars and are drawing up plans for floating cities in Jupiter, Saturn and… the planet that lends its name to bad jokes about bottoms."

A wave of sniggering and muffled laughter swept the hall.

"Each floating city will be independently governed and considered as the equivalent of a state for the planet in question." Bush continued, looking down at the sheaf of notes on the podium in front of him. "Each sub-alliance will contribute a minimum of one senator to the Solar Council with representation based on both its population and contribution to the planned Earthfleet defence force…"

.

* * *

.

"I still can't believe it." Remus smirked as he adjusted Sirius' bow tie. " _You_ , getting married."

Sirius glared at him with his remaining eye and Remus lost the battle to contain his laughter.

"Can it, Moony." He growled, although an undercurrent of laughter softened his words. "She's the woman for me and that's all that matters. So what if she's from another planet."

"Asajj Black." Remus smirked. "Has a nice ring to it."

"As long as _you_ have the rings."

Remus pulled a small box out of his pocket and opened it, revealing a pair of golden rings embossed with the coat of arms of the House of Black.

"And I have the Best Man speech all prepared."

Sirius sighed and adjusted his eyepatch again. "This is payback for what I did at Prongs' wedding, isn't it?"

"I have no idea what you could possibly be referring to." Remus replied with an expression of innocence on his face as he re-pocketed the rings. "Now come on, you don't want to be late to your own wedding."

.

* * *

.

Dolores Umbridge looked round her office in the Department of Magical Sports with a scowl on her face. It had taken every favor that she had been owed, the sacrifice of almost every piece of political dirt she had gathered and her public willingness to testify against Lucius Malfoy and actively aid in the investigation against him (while subtly hiding her own participation in it) that let her escape from ending up in Azkaban.

She had also taken a leaf from that bastard Greengrass' book and publicly recanted her stance. Unlike him, though, she had merely asked to be dropped several grades as penance, an offer that had been accepted due in no small part to her attempts to appear inconsequential, and she had been shuffled away into a politically unimportant role, into a department that would soon be merged with a muggle department, forcing her to work with those who were beneath her.

Dolores took a deep breath to calm down. She had survived and was still employed. She had almost reached the apex once and could do so again, given time.

She picked up her quill and started to fill in the form in front of her.

As long as the World Quidditch Championships went well, she could use it to rejuvinate her career.

And she _would_ make it go well, even though those damned muggles would be involved.

Her future was far more important, after all.

.

* * *

.

"So, this is the Daedalus station. Very impressive."

Harry half-turned as Draco entered the viewing chamber along with a trio of girls. One of them Harry recognized from news articles, but the other…

"Jedi Potter-Tano," Draco said with a slight bow, "May I introduce my beloveds. First is Pansy Parkinson, my betrothed by contract."

"Miss Parkinson." Harry said with a nod that bordered on a formal bow.

"Next is Daphne Greengrass."

Draco paused and Harry bowed again. "Lady Greengrass, I heard your father's resignation speech. Although I opposed his policies, his courage is admirable, as is his honor."

"Thank you." Daphne smiled. "I was as surprised as him when the Court decided that there was no case against him, although he has sworn off politics forever."

"And last, but in no way least, Tracey Davis."

"Miss Davis." Harry said again, then he turned his attention to Draco, noting the dark rings around his eyes. "Lord Malfoy, you are very fortunate to have the attention of these three beautiful ladies."

Draco grinned wryly. "Oh, I know I'm not worthy of them, but they're silly enough to choose me anyway."

Pansy lightly slapped Draco across the back of his head while Daphne and Tracey rolled their eyes. "Anyway. Ladies, may I introduce you to Jedi… are you a full Knight yet?"

"Still a Padawan." Harry shrugged. "I still have much to learn."

"Don't we all." Draco muttered in agreement, then he resumed his introduction. "Jedi Padawan Lord Harry Potter-Tano of House Potter."

The three girls all cutsied and Harry nodded back, then he frowned.

"Draco, what are you doing up here? I'm allowed to be here since the Jedi Order now have a dedicated section of the station, but…"

Draco grinned. "Oh, the Malfoy Family has entered into a partnership with WolfTech Industries. I now have my own section of the station, along with a dedicated Rune Door to it, so I can pop up here and look out at the stars as often as I want. It really helps with astronomy lessons, don't you know."

Harry smiled slightly and Draco stepped forwards, stopping beside Harry.

"You've changed." Harry said quietly enough that the three girls couldn't overhear him. "You used to be…"

"An arrogant pillock with delusions of adequacy?" Draco finished, causing Harry to frantically turn his laughter into a coughing fit. "I was, but sometimes you learn things that force you to change."

Draco paused, then continued in a louder voice. "Jedi Potter-Tano, it has been an honor meeting you again, but I'm afraid that I have somewhere else that my ladies and I need to be. I wish you peace and long life."

Harry bowed as he replied.

"May the Force be with you, all of you."

.

* * *

.

* * *

.

**Epilogue 1**

The alarm sliced through the control room, causing a flurry of activity. A moment later, the main door opened and Council Leader Ahsoka Tano strode through.

"Report."

"Unknown starship has reverted to realspace outside the orbit of Jupiter." One of the Wolfalorians manning the consoles reported, his gaze flicking across the readouts relayed from one of the many probes that were still tasked with mapping out the solar system in order to locate new resources for use in building the units of Earthfleet. "Starship is estimated at three clicks in length and diameter, circular shape."

A tapped control transferred the image to the holo-ring set in the ceiling of the control room and Ahsoka gasped in shock.

"That… that's a Trade Federation Droid Control Ship!"

"Multiple launch signatures and encrypted transmissions detected, re-assigning nearby probe units for increased sensor resolution. Unknown starship is accelerating… projected course indicates a high probability of Earth orbit."

Ahsoka swallowed, wishing that her son was by her side instead of being on Venus. As if in answer to her thoughts, a wall-screen lit up, showing Harry and several other Jedi all clad in flight suits.

"Master Tano."

"Master Tano." Ahsoka responded with a slight smile and Harry blushed slightly at the reminder of his recent elevation.

"We received the alert and I have ordered our Ginivex-3 starfighters to be loaded with combat missiles rather than the training shots we were loading them with. We can be launched within five minutes."

Ahsoka nodded. The thought that her son would be leading a wing of Jedi towards Earth was very reassuring. "What about the Wolfalorians?"

"They're prepping as well." Harry said soberly. "However, since they went for V-19's which are slightly slower, they'll probably arrive in the middle of the battle, assuming there is one. While good from a reinforcement viewpoint, it isn't all that great from a preventative viewpoint."

Ahsoka nodded. Being able to intimidate an adversary into surrendering was far, far less expensive (in both materiel and lives) than fighting.

.

Harry looked out of his cockpit at the large starship settling into orbit. Even at the distance his strikegroup was, he could make out the distant specks of droid starfighters, as well as a dozen larger craft that he could _sense_ living beings aboard, several of which were shining bright in the Force. Frowning, he activated his comm system.

"Master Tano, I am detecting several Force signatures. Light ones, not dark."

On the comm screen, Ahsoka blinked in surprise. "Really? Alright, I guess we should try to contact them."

"This would be easier if we had proper subspace transceivers." Harry sighed. "I don't think that these people have MageWave transmitters. I hope that they have radio capability."

.

"Ginivex?" General Dave Hunter said in astonishment, looking at the readouts. "Those things were Clone Wars starfighters… what are they doing here?"

"Unknown, sir." Replied the voice of the multi-bodied crewmember. "Preliminary analysis indicates that these are as advanced from the Ginivex models used in the Clone Wars as E-Wing Starfighters are advanced from Z-95 Headhunters, but several aspects are… confusing. For starters, their shielding is far stronger than it should be given their theoretical power generation capabilities and there is no sign of any form of communication from them, yet they are maneuvering as if they have full free-flow comms. I cannot explain this yet. Status change, discontinuous electromagnetic wave emissions detected from lead starfighter."

"Disconti… Cybo, can you decode them?"

"Affirmative." Cybo responded. "Transmissions appear to be carrying data via frequency modulation… data is audio in nature. Playing now."

Dave blinked as the voice of a young male sounded.

" _This is Jedi Master Harry Potter-Tano to unknown Seperatist starship. You are commanded to drop your shields, deactivate your weapons and propulsion systems and prepare to be boarded."_

"By the Force," Dave whispered, "We've just found a Jedi colony! Tell Graham, Haisani, Obi-Qui and Zealan to get back here now, then get ready to send a message!"

"Orders have been sent and acknowledged." Cybo responded. "Live microphone in three, two, one…"

Dave inhaled deeply before speaking. "This is General Dave Hunter of the New Republic starship Cybo. We are on a mission of exploration and come in peace. Four of our number are Jedi and will meet your representative in the main port hangar."

A long moment passed, then Harry's voice sounded.

" _The Jedi survived? Excellent, there's two thousand of us Jedi active here, we really need to make contact with the Jedi Order to find out where we're needed and if we've mised anything important in our training."_

Dave's jaw dropped. _Two thousand_ Jedi?

.

Graham C'Baoth watched as the starfighter entered the hangar bay, the vertical solar wings folding back into the main body as it did so. A moment later, it had settled down with a smoothness that bespoke both extreme natural talent and years, if not decades, of practice, then the spherical cockpit seemed to simply _waver_ out of existence, revealing the man inside. The console in front of him seemed to split in half and retract while a set of steps extended from underneath the seat, giving the man a clear path down to the hangar bay deck. As he strode down, Haisani stepped forwards.

"Jedi Master Harry Potter-Tano, I assume?"

The green-eyed black-haired man nodded. "I am."

"I am Jedi Master Haisani Sulona, with me are Jedi Knights Graham C'Baoth and Zealan as well as my Padawan,Obi-Qui Binks."

Harry bowed slightly to the quartet, then glanced over to the corner where a Wookiee was glowering at him. Graham caught the glance and gave a self-conscious shrug.

"My dad. I'm a full Jedi Knight, but my dad still doesn't like it when I get into new situations."

Harry's eyes widened. "Your dad's a Wookiee? My mum's a Togruta, it's good to meet another multi-species family."

"A Togruta?" Haisani managed despite his shock. "How?"

"Long story." Harry grinned as he reached into a pocket and pulled out a small device that looked like a palm-sezed mirror. "Place call. Ahsoka Tano."

A brief moment passed, then a full-colour image of Ahsoka appeared above the mirror.

"Mother, we have more Jedi."

"Thassa Ahsoka, da padawan of Skywalka! Dad be tellin me alla bout her!" Obi-Qui burst out before clapping his hands over his mouth. "Mesa sorry, bein' quiet now."

"Anakin Skywalker's Padawan!" Haisani gasped. "I know Anakin's son, Luke!"

" _Really?"_ Ahsoka asked, her head tilted in curiosity. _"So he and Amidala finally got together, huh? Well, everyone could see how they felt about each other. I can't wait to meet him."_

"You may have to." Zealan said with a sigh. "We barely managed to avoid a rogue black hole on our way here, Cybo calculated that it would prevent us using that path back for at least fifty years, more probably a full century."

"Well." Harry said after a long silence. "That's irritating."

" _We'll compare it to the nav-data Asajj gave us."_ Ahsoka said. _"With luck, the routes will be different and we can get to the Republic."_

.

Harry returned the wand to his sleeve holster and picked up the transfigured cup, holding it out for a refill.

"You… stick… wave… bigger… how?" General Hunter finally managed and Harry shrugged as he took a sip of _caf_.

"I'm a Jedi-Mage, I can use Magic. It's similar to the Force in some ways, but very different in others. This _caf_ is delicious, it's very similar to coffee, but… different."

Hunter stared at the mug that had been changed in order to triple the amount of liquid it could hold.

"It's okay." Harry smiled. "Less than one percent of the Jedi here are Jedi-Mages, although there are over a million Magic users worldwide. We've made real progress in combining magic and technology."

"Like your Ginivex starfighter?" Graham asked and Harry smiled.

"It's a Ginivex-3 with full technomagery integration. The hull is rune-engraved to deflect energy attacks and the cockpit is a triple-layered fusion-powered _Protego Aegis_ … ummm… think of it as a force-field. The fuel tanks are magically extended for greater range while the weapon systems are enhanced. It carries two dual laser cannons, two ionic projection cannons and a dual missile launcher with twenty missiles. All weapons are magic-enhanced for greater effect."

"The result," "Of a great," "Deal of," "Hard work." Fred and George chimed in from one side.

"Hey, it's," "Nice to meet," "Another set," "Of twins!" Kay and Kal'Infortuna shot back and Harry closed his eyes, rubbing at his forehead.

"Oh hell. Just what we needed. There's _two more_ of them! Please tell me that your twins _aren't_ pranksters."

"Actually, they are." Graham admitted, smiling at the two Twi-lek pilots who were shaking hands with the human twins and each other in a semi-random way that was causing several of the onlookers to chuckle.

"We _need_ to keep them away from Sirius." Harry sighed. "God knows what they'll come up with now that there's two more of them."

"We'll keep them in line." A voice said and Dave looked up as one of the Rangers who had escorted the diplomats dropped into the seat beside Harry, pulling off her helmet to reveal a mass of red hair as she did so. Multiple holsters and pouches held pistols, blades, power clips and other less-identifiable equipment while a wand holster was attached to her left forarm.

"This is Ginny Weasley, a member of the Rangers, a semi-private militia who support the Jedi Order." Harry said by way of introduction. "Ginny's one of the best pilots in the Rangers and is quite fearsome in hand-to-hand combat."

Ginny blushed slightly as she rolled her eyes. "Ignore this prat. I still haven't managed to beat him in a lightfight. His damned precognition is _really_ annoying."

"We'll have to have a spar some time." Graham grinned. "Try out your Ginivex against my E-Wing."

.

"Master Potter-Tano." The Blond man said, bowing as the three ladies with him curtseyed slightly. Harry bowed back.

"Lord Malfoy, Ladies Malfoy. May I introduce Jedi Knight Graham C'Baoth of Corellia. Graham, may I introduce Lord Draco Lucius Malfoy and his wives, Pansy, Daphne and Tracey."

Graham nodded, mentally thanking the translation spell that had been cast on him, giving him near-perfect command of the English language since only a tiny minority of the planet's population could currently speak Basic.

"Jedi Knight C'Baoth." Draco said, "It is an honour to meet another Jedi from the stars."

"Lord Draco is a member of the Mage Council, the body responsible for overseeing the integration of the Wizarding World into the mundane world." Harry explained. "It is a very prestigious position."

"I had to do _something_ to dispell the shadow that my father's treachery cast on the family name." Draco shrugged with a self-depreciating smile. "Fortunately, I learned how to be a true Slytherin from Salazar's portrait."

Graham glanced at Harry, his confusion obvious and Harry took pity.

"Lord Malfoy attended the primary magical school of the United Kingdom is Hogwarts, which is divided into four Houses that reflect the primary characteristics of the founders…"

.

* * *

.

* * *

.

**Epilogue 2**

Darth Nihl looked out from the bridge viewport of the Dragon-class warship with disgust as the turbolasers lanced out at the supply convoy. Even with the secret supply bases, keeping the hidden One Sith Fleet operational was a herculean undertaking and the chance to claim an entire convoy bound for the under-reconstruction Jedi Temple on Yavin 4 was too good to pass up. Ever since the death of Sith Emperor Darth Krayt, the leader of the One Sith, things had been getting worse.

One of the fighters sent against the convoy exploded and Nihl frowned, his yellow eyes narrowing.

"What just happened?"

"Armed freighter identified as the _Grinning Liar_ , Lord Nihl." One of the bridge crew said. "Should I vector a squadron in to destroy it?"

Nihl nodded and turned back to watching the battle, then his danger senses _screamed_ at him.

.

Chak snarled as he threw his freighter into a spinning evasion maneuver that took him further away from the convoy even as he triggered the laser cannons to take out another of the fighters that were trying to swarm him.

 _This isn't good_ He roared and Kee nodded, her face almost blank as she frantically diverted power from the less-essential systems to reinforce the shields before they could fail.

"Dammit!" She hissed as the _Grinning Liar_ shuddered from a hit that opened one of the cargo hulls to space. "This is the _Grinning Liar_ to any ship in range, we are under attack by the Sith and…"

" _This is Admiral Flamel of Earthfleet Three to the_ Grinning _Liar and any other civilian starship receiving, we are coming to your aid. Change convoy course to four-seven mark one five and prepare to be escorted!"_

Kee blinked, then quickly accessed the scanners. "I've located them, incoming and with loads of fighters… looks like a squadron of… Ginivex? Those are _ancient_ , I'm amazed we even have them in the sensor library! One squadron of Ginivex, several squadrons of some kind of KDY Delta-varient and six ships… _Barloz_? Those are freighters, but… looks like they've got extra weapons mounted and they're travelling _way_ faster than they should be able to… computer says that the armed varient is _Justifier_ class. At least a dozen capital ships beyond them… first fighters entering range… By the moons of Iego!"

Chak gaped as the Ginivex-starfighters opened up, firing bolts that went straight through the Sith fighter's shields as if they didn't even exist. The bolts sliced, gouged and detonated against the starfighters, destroying almost half of them before the rest went to evasive maneuvering, maneuvers that the Ginivex-class and the Deltas more than matched, some of the former vanishing and reappearing almost at random whenever they were in the sights of the Sith craft.

"No way!" Kee gasped. "Those readings… they can't be right! No ship that small has a cloaking device!"

_What are the freighters doing?_

"They're taking up position around the convoy and… _what in the name of the Sith?_ "

.

"Close in on the convoy and disable the ships. Destroy those that might escape. Launch the remaining starfighters and task them with taking out the new arrivals." Darth Nihl ordered, keeping an eye on the tactical repeater. Although there were a dozen of the unknown warships, half of which bore a significant resemblance to the Clone Wars Venator-class while the other half were reminiscent of the Lucrehulk class, they were far enough away that it would take them at least half an hour to intercept and in that time, his forces could take care of the convoy and…

…what

The

Heck?

The ships vanished without any sign of leaping into Hyper, reappearing around the Convoy in the same instant before the Venator-alikes peeled off with unbelievable swiftness, turning to face his ships. Darth Nihl gaped at them, then his eyes narrowed as the twin turreted cannons mounted just either side of the prow of each ship moved to target his own ships. Similar turrets crowned the ridges of the ringlike Lucrehulks, but the larger ships were forming a protective barricade around the convoy rather than moving to attack.

"Shields to full forwards, concentrate fire on the approaching enemy capital ships."

Salvoes of turbolaser fire lanced towards the new ships… only to bounce off as if somehow reflected from the hull itself rather than the normal projected shields. The missiles that followed were all destroyed by precise bursts of laserfire from secondary turrets along the edges and ridges of the angular starships, and then the prow cannons returned fire.

The beams lanced out and swung as the turrets moved. The first beam intersected the Dragon-class Grand Destroyer Fearbringer… and sliced straight through it like a lightsaber through cloth, bisecting it and causing the sparking remains to drift without power! Nihl's jaw dropped as a second, then a third ship fell to those impossible beams, then he spun round.

"Get the fleet out of…"

He never finished his sentence as one of the beams sliced straight though the bridge of his ship, vaporizing him.

.

Chak stared at his sensor screen where every one of the Sith warships had been wiped from existence with a single concentrated strike.

"No… way…" Kee muttered as the _Grinning Liar_ slowly curved back towards the protected convoy, then the comm system burst to life again.

" _This is Jedi-Mage Master Ky Black leading Earthfleet Three. We are moving to provide aid. If any of you know where any representatives of the Jedi Order are currently located, we would be grateful."_

Kee blinked in sheer disbelief. "Those are _Jedi_?"

Chak reached for the communication panel. _This is Chak of the_ Grinning Liar _. We have taken heavy damage and our hyperdrive is… borderline. Do you have a spare bay we can use for repairs?_

There was a pause, and then the voice replied, _"We do, and you have permission to use it. Head to the Asajj Ventress' main bay, it's the ship just above your port midline."_

 _Confirmed._ Chak acknowledged. _Changing course now._

.

Kee winced as she reached up and touched the twisted ruin of what had once been a vital structural member on the port wing.

"You took a lot of damage out there." A voice said and Kee turned to see a young red-headed Jedi striding across the hangar bay towards her, flanked by a pair of quadrupedal animals she didn't recognise. As they got closer, the animals suddenly seemed to flow and shift, extending upwards to become armoured humanoids.

"I'm Harry Weasley, these are my friends Hermione Lupin and Severus Malfoy."

The two armoured figures removed their helmets to reveal that they were human, or at least humanlike, given their shapechanging abilities.

"How… they…"

"Wolfalorians." Harry shrugged as the armoured female grinned and the male raised one eyebrow. "I assume that you are a Devaronian and I _know_ that your friend is a Wookiee."

Kee glanced back to see that Chak was standing close by, his bowcaster held loosely in his hand, then she looked back and nodded.

"Excellent. Our data is a bit out of date, we need to know what the current situation is now that we've destroyed that group of Sith bastards."

"How did you do that?" Kee asked, curiosity overcoming her shock. "I mean, one moment you were on the other side of the star system, then you were… just there!"

Harry grinned, as did his friends.

"Magic and technology combined. Now, if you will come with us, I'll introduce you to Admiral Flamel on the Cybo."

"Are we taking a shuttle?" Kee asked, then she gasped as a ring that she had taken for decoration in the back of the bay started to glow, then cleared to show the view of a large starship bridge that she just _knew_ couldn't have been there, a bridge crewed by humans, sharp-featured short humanoids , a Wookiee and several larger beings who seemed human from the waist up, but had a lower body similar to that of a beast of burden.

"Rune Door." Harry laughed as he stepped through and waved for them to follow. "Come on."

Chak and Kee exchanged glances, then stepped through the Portal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue 1 is where the story Knave Squadron intersects with this one.  
> Epilogue 2 is where the story intercepts the Star Wars: Legacy comic series.


	29. Omakes

**_The Sword Of Gryffindor And Other Mistakes_ **

Everyone stared in shock at the portrait above the teachers table, then Headmistress McGonogall spoke up, her voice disbelieving.

"What was that?"

Salazar shrugged as he glanced at Godric, who was examining the ceiling of the Great Hall with an expression of studied innocence.

"I said that Godric's sword came about due to us both getting, as you would say it, totally hammered. We were celebrating our shared birthday and he'd got me some new cauldrons from a blacksmith he knew while I paid the Goblins for a sword. Godric made a comment about how it was unfair that the nature Goblin Silver meant that you couldn't use magic on it, then things went downhill since the drinks we were sharing were a lot stronger than I had intended. When we woke up the next morning and managed to stop our heads from exploding from the hangover, it was to find that we had somehow managed to weave a hundred enchantments into the sword and somehow give life to Godric's favourite hat at the same time. We were never able to figure out how we did it."

For a long, long moment, the entire hall was silent, and then a disbelieving snort sounded.

"You and Godric got drunk…" Severus managed before he started to laugh in disbelief. Salazar nodded, glaring at his fellow Founder.

It wasn't the last time we did that." He muttered. "Did you ever wonder why the Astronomy Tower is taller at the top than it is at the base? And as for what Helga and Rowena managed to do…"

.

"I accidentally dropped some of Salazar's potion ingredients into my fireplace one winter." Helga shrugged with an embarrassed smile. The teachers (who had scrambled to find the portrait she had been occupying at the time) simply stared at her. "Rowena and I were getting cold, and of course Godric and Salazar were being such _manly men_ about not feeling the cold…"

"So, wha' did ye do?" Hagrid rumbled curiously.

"You know it as the Room of Requirements." Helga shrugged. "Oh, it's useful, but how we managed to create an unliving interactive mindscape with dimensional and temporal capabilities, we still don't know. I swear, there's even _Veela_ magic involved, and neither Rowena or myself even knew they existed until we met one a decade later. Whatever we did, we were totally unable to work out what the heck we had done afterwards."

The assembled teachers looked at each other with shocked expressions.

.

"Oh, the Great Hall." Rowena nodded. "Well, we sort-of meant to do it, it took us _ages_ to work out the arithmancy for it, and then we… well, we screwed up. I was ill that day and I cast three of the spells backwards and in the wrong order. Somehow, it set up an odd effect that uses leftover ambient magic from spellcasting to power the charm as well as blurring the edges of the image as if the walls were fading away without sacrificing any image sharpness. We were able to create a whole new series of illusion spells using that effect, once I'd finished working out just what had happened, that is."

.

"The stairs are _still_ moving randomly?" Godric scowled. "Dammit, we tried _everything_ to stop that. It was Rowena's fault, she was trying some newly-discovered foreign herbs in a stew and when we stopped having those hallucinations, we discovered that Helga and I'd placed charms in Parseltongue on the stairs, magelocked so only we could release them. Of course, we couldn't as we aren't parselmouths! Salazar was sniggering for a month over _that_ little escapade."

.

"The Gargoyle." Salazar sighed. "Don't mention the Gargoyle, _that_ was a potions accident. I was having my potions stock moved when the statue was knocked off the upstairs balcony and landed straight on the chest containing my prepared potions and some that I had come across and intended to analyse. Next thing we knew, the damn statue was stretching its wings and looking round for orders…"

.

Minerva sat in her bed, staring blankly into the darkness. That day had almost destroyed her view of the competence of the Founders, the only major project that had actually worked for them had been the Wards, and even that had taken advantage of the crystals that Salazar had accidentally grown in his largest cauldron while trying to make a potion to cure bunions.

How many more of the Great Witches and Wizards of history owed their fame to accidents and errors?

And did she _really_ want to know?

* * *

_**Lucas' Documentary** _

George stroked his beard as he stared at the non-human ladies before him, then he looked down at the collection of files in front of him.

"So… you want me to work with Playful Cub Games to create a series of informational films about the Old Republic and eventually the Clone Wars?"

Asajj and Ahsoka both nodded and George smiled as he picked up one of the folders.

"This file will be a brilliant starting point, it'll make an excellent series of films as it has it all. Betrayal, romance, danger, action and quite a bit of comedy. This person, this… Zayne Carrick… I can do a lot with this! I'll call it… _Star Wars_!"

"Are you sure this was a good idea?" Asajj whispered as Lucus continued going on about how he was going to write the script personally.

"I've asked your husband to help with the writing." Ahsoka whispered back. "He'll keep him on-track."

Asajj gave the Jedi a deadpan look and Ahsoka shrugged.

"Okay, it'll go strange, but at least _Sirius_ knows how to write good dialogue."

* * *

.

_ **Children Of The Green** _

The giant spaceship came to a halt far above the plane of the ecliptic, the arrays of highly-sensitive passive scanners reaching out.

"Is this the lost human colony where my son was accidentally abandoned? And you had to go back to get him?" one of the long-armed figures aboard asked, earning a small nod.

"Yes, Great Diplomat. He made contact with a pre-maturity native who aided him in contacting the ship."

"Great Diplomat!" Another voice called. "Status change, the planet now has multiple orbital structures and we are picking up engine emissions from the next planets in and out!"

"What?!" The diplomat half-snarled. "They've advanced this quickly? What level are they?"

"Current estimates are low-galactic with an unusual tech-advance. They have matter transmission rings!"

An pair of images appeared on one of the display boards, one image showing a starship entering a short cylindrical structure a hundred meters wide and five deep, only to emerge virtually instantly from a second, identical structure above the next planet in.

"I have made my decision." The Great Diplomat said solemnly. "These people are too advanced, probably because they somehow managed to find a sample of our technology and built on it. We shall call off the planned invasion and seek a different homeworld away from the Empire."

"As you command." Came the reply and the ship vanished again, unaware of the two starfighters approaching it.

.

"Dammit!" Ahsoka swore. "Those sawn-off idiots left without talking to us."

"Elliot will be really disappointed." Harry replied. "He always wondered what happened to his friend."

* * *

.

_**RPG** _

Will walked down the road to his friends house, hiding a smile as most of the passers-by stared at his Jedi robes and the lightsaber hanging from his belt. It had been a month since the battle that had rocked the world and John had finally called the group back together for a new game.

Walking up to the door, he knocked on it and smiled as a _'Coming!'_ emerged. A moment later, the latch unlocked and the door opened.

"Oh my… dammit, Will, you look… you really are a…?"

Will grinned and _reached_ out, lifting a rock from the flower bed, floating it around the garden and then placing it back down in the depression it had come from.

"All this time…" John sighed, then he mock-glared. "You could have told us, you know!"

Will shrugged. "Would you have believed me?"

"I do now." John admitted, motioning for him to enter. "The others want to see you do your Jedi mojo stuff, but you are banned from using it on the dice!"

Will laughed as the door closed behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) - My thanks to elmoryakahn whose critiques about my lack of usage of ancient magic (a common thing in fanfiction) sparked the Sword omake. I thought that the greatest masterworks of the Founders being a result of them being drunk/high/feverish/whatever was just too good to pass up on. The sword idea was based on the webcomic Tales Of The Questor where the main hero and his friends get totally hammered and wake up the next morning to discover that they've enchanted a sword so that it can do anything, from telling the time (wrongly) to firing lightning bolts, but each effect is totally random. The hero calls it Wildcard.
> 
> (2) George Lucas may be good at coming up with ideas, but he can't write good dialogue worth damn. Then again, neither can I.
> 
> (3) In Star Wars I – The Phantom Menace, three E.T's appear in the bottom-right corner of the Senate as the camera pans across. That means that canonically, the film E.T. is part of Star Wars!
> 
> (4) Using the Force to cheat at dice is something done in canon, the 'Chance Cube' in Episode I is a prime example.


End file.
